Up  Through 


I  II 


hood 


Hubbell 


I 


K!«  ROOM 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 

Class 


Up  THroug'H  Childhood 


A  Study  of  Some  Principles  of  Education  in 
Relation  to  Faith  and  Conduct 


A  Book  for  Parents  and  Teachers 


By 

George  Allen  Hubbell,  Ph.D.  (Columbia) 

Vice-President  of  Berea  College 


OF  THE 

UNIVER^ 

OF 


G.  P.  Putnam's  Sons 

New  York   and  London 
fmfcherbocfcec  ftress 
1904 


COPYRIGHT,  1904 

BY 
GEORGE  ALLEN  HUBBELL 


Published,  September,  1904 
I 


Ube  ftnicfeerbocfeer  press,  flew  Uorfc 


TO  MY  MOTHER 

MY  FIRST  AND   BEST  TEACHER 
WHOSE  INFLUENCE  HAS   BEEN  THE  MOST  POTENT 

FACTOR  IN  MY   LIFE 
THIS  BOOK  IS  GRATEFULLY  DEDICATED 


214724 


INTRODUCTION 

FIFTY  years  ago  Herbert  Spencer  made  complaint 
that  after-dinner  conversations  in  England  dealt  with 
the  regulations  of  the  kennel,  stable,  and  sheep-pen  to 
the  exclusion  of  rules  touching  the  rearing  of  children. 
The  same  complaint  might  well  have  been  made  in  this 
country  also.  But  a  half  century  has  wrought  mighty 
changes,  so  that  now  many  mothers,  and  even  some 
fathers,  are  as  much  concerned  in  the  hours,  ventila- 
tion, and  dietary  of  the  nursery  as  in  the  condition  and 
treatment  of  their  pet  animals.  This  interest  extends 
into  the  school  also,  and  both  the  subject-matter  and 
the  method  of  school  instruction  are  topics  of  daily  con- 
versation in  multitudes  of  homes.  Teachers,  too,  are 
given  a  recognition  and  a  salary  that  place  them  upon 
a  dignified  plane. 

But  the  wave  of  educational  enthusiasm  that  has  swept 
over  this  country  during  the  last  generation  has  limited 
itself  very  largely  to  skilled  instruction  in  the  common- 
school  studies.  In  spite  of  much  talk  about  moral  and 
religious  education,  our  plans  for  securing  moral  de- 
velopment are  still  vague,  and  those  bearing  on  religious 
training  are  fully  fifty  years  behind  the  times.  Most 
of  Sunday-school  instruction  must  be  declared  an  ab- 
solute failure,  if  judged  by  the  standards  of  a  good 


vi  Introduction 

day-school,  and  most  preaching  would  fare  no  better  if 
measured  by  the  norms  adopted  in  the  better  training- 
schools  for  teachers  and  colleges.  Religious  teachers, 
as  a  class,  have  not  yet  learned  to  regard  themselves  as 
subject  to  psychological  law,  the  same  as  any  other 
teachers.  As  a  class,  they  do  not  read  educational 
treatises,  nor  share  in  discussions  of  educational  pro- 
blems. This  tendency  of  non-identification  with  teach- 
ing is  well  illustrated  in  the  teachers'  institutes  held  in 
all  parts  of  the  country,  where,  as  a  rule,  some  minister 
leads  the  devotional  exercises  at  the  beginning  of  the 
day's  work — and  then  disappears. 

The  seriousness  of  this  state  of  affairs  is  clearly  seen 
when  we  reflect  that  morality  is  largely  based  upon  re- 
ligion. It  is  true  that  day-school  teachers  are  doing 
far  too  little  for  the  moral  and  religious  growth  of 
children,  but  it  is  difficult  for  them  to  do  much,  when 
the  specialists  in  the  field  of  religion,  the  preachers 
themselves,  are  novices  in  educational  matters  and  are 
accomplishing  next  to  nothing. 

In  my  opinion,  if  the  religious  instruction  of  young 
people  were  radically  improved,  the  day-school  would 
see  its  way  more  clearly  to  introduce  a  greater  amount 
and  a  better  quality  of  moral  teaching.  Thus  far, 
however,  the  day-school  has  had  to  be  the  aggressor  in 
effecting  educational  reforms.  On  the  basis  of  psycho- 
logy, it  has  been  making  demands  on  the  Church  and 
on  the  Sunday-school,  while  the  truer  course  would 
be  for  the  religious  leaders,  on  the  basis  of  approved 


Introduction  vii 

educational  principles,  to  make  demands  on  the  day- 
school. 

Probably  the  main  reason  why  so  little  educational 
advance  has  been  made  in  the  field  of  religion — in  the 
age  of  educational  advance— has  been  the  fact  that  peo- 
ple in  general  have  not  been  sure  that  religion  is  a  field 
where  progress  is  a  virtue.  But  another  important 
reason  has  been  the  fact  that  educational  books  dealing 
with  moral  and  religious  questions  have  revealed  only 
a  hazy  body  of  thought,  or  have  expressed  their  ideas 
in  a  form  too  technical  for  the  average  person.  This 
author  seems  to  me  to  have  avoided  both  evils.  The 
thought  is  always  clear,  and  it  is  presented  as  much 
from  the  point  of  view  of  a  parent  as  of  a  teacher.  The 
bearing  of  well  established  educational  ideas  on  moral 
and  religious  education  is  largely  the  theme,  and  in 
tracing  this  bearing  the  valuable  suggestions  are  in- 
numerable. But  the  statements  are  always  so  clear,  so 
free  from  dogmatism,  and  so  sensible  that  their  readers 
are  likely  to  be  well  rewarded  for  their  pains. 

F.  M.  McMuRRY. 
TEACHERS  COW,EGE,  N.  Y.,  May,  1904. 


PREFACE 

THIS  is  an  era  of  education.  There  is  no  branch  of 
knowledge,  no  religious  cult,  but  has  its  schools.  In 
the  days  of  Horace  Mann  intellectual  culture  was  be- 
lieved to  have  strong  moral  worth,  but  we  have  already 
discovered  that  one  may  have  fine  intellectual  training 
and  yet  be  a  rogue.  Every  year  adds  to  the  popular 
belief  in  the  value  of  moral  education.  There  are  still 
many  doubters,  but  patient  and  thoughtful  men  and 
women  are  now  seeing  more  clearly  than  ever  before, 
that  there  is  ''an  art  of  bringing  up  to  virtue."  This 
art  has  its  principles  and  methods  and  is  as  reasonable 
in  its  requirements  as  any  other.  Education  has  taken 
a  new  trend  and  has  a  wider  range  than  ever  before. 
It  has  come  to  mean  the  training  of  the  whole  being, 
so  that  he  may  be  able  and  gladly  willing  to  meet  all  of 
life's  responsibilities.  The  cause  for  the  growth  of  this 
wider  meaning  of  education  is  found  in  two  conditions: 
(i)  a  recognition  of  the  long  period  from  infancy  to 
adult  life,  in  which  may  be  unfolded  the  child's  possi- 
bilities as  he  grows  to  the  needs  of  his  time  and  people; 
and  (2)  the  deep  religious  instinct  which  has  in  every 
age  clearly  manifested  itself  among  men.  This  book 
deals  definitely  with  the  principles  and  problems  of  this 
broad  development,  and  while  it  may  scarcely  be  called 

ix 


x  Preface 

a  book  on  moral  education,  it  is  the  conscious  aim  to  dis- 
cuss the  questions  of  education  always  from  the  moral 
point  of  view.  For  years  I  have  been  studying  these 
questions  from  the  various  standpoints  of  Sunday-school 
teacher,  Sunday-school  superintendent,  and  school 
officer  in  every  grade  from  common  school  to  college. 
This  book  is  a  growth.  It  represents  the  results  of 
a  number  of  discussion  classes  and  lecture  courses  con- 
ducted under  the  auspices  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian 
Associations  in  Brooklyn,  and  before  training  classes 
for  teachers  under  the  direction  of  the  Sunday-school 
Commission  of  the  Diocese  of  New  York,  together  with 
a  course  of  lectures  delivered  before  the  Friends'  Gen- 
eral Conference  at  Asbury  Park,  N.  J.  The  statements 
have  been  turned  and  winnowed  in  keen  discussion, 
until  they  represent  the  best  thought  of  many  minds, 
and  nearly  every  idea  has,  in  some  regular  form  of 
work,  been  submitted  to  the  test  of  actual  experience. 
I  give  hearty  thanks  to  the  many  friends  who  have 
had  part  in  the  discussions  and  who  have  by  their 
cordial  approval  of  my  work  given  me  confidence  in  its 
value.  Such  approval  is  my  warrant  for  putting  this 
material  into  a  permanent  form  where  it  may  be  of  use 
to  the  great  company  of  men  and  women  who  feel  the 
responsibility  of  the  teaching  office  in  home  and  school, 
and  who  are  striving  to  train  the  young  to  be  God- 
fearing, earnest,  and  efficient  citizens  of  this  land  and 
of  the  Kingdom  which  we  believe  to  be  eternal. 

G.  A.  H. 

Coi^EGE,  May,  1904. 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

INTRODUCTION       .        .  DR.  FRANK  MORTON  MCMURRY     v 
PREFACE ix 

PARTI 

THE  SCHOOL  OF  I^IFB 
CHAPTER  I.    LIFE  is  OPPORTUNITY 3 

The  parents'  hope  for  the  child— Life  is  opportunity —  , — 
Purpose  in  the  long  period  of  infancy — The  period  of 
infancy  in  man  compared  with  that  in  animals — The 
Mysterious  Stranger— The  unknown  world — Who  is  re- 
sponsible ? — The  adaptation  to  conditions  — Each  must 
go  alone — The  sheltered  child — The  striving — The  com- 
ing Eden. 

CHAPTER  II.  THE  AIM  OF  EDUCATION  .  .  .  .15 
The  wider  meaning  of  education — Variety  of  Aims — 
Machinery  and  manhood — Unity  of  aim  in  all  educa- 
tion— The  aim  in  character  building — A  character  effi-  ._  „ 
cient  for  good:  Love;  Honesty;  Insight;  Open-mind- 
edness  ;  Courage  ;  Perseverance;  Knowledge — Positive 
goodness — The  religious  element — The  aim  determines 
(i)  the  action — The  aim  determines  (2)  the  curriculum — 
The  aim  determines  (3)  the  method— The  aim  deter- 
mines (4)  the  spirit  of  the  teacher— The  religious  ele- 
ment is  fundamental  —  The  true  reason  for  religious 
culture  —  How  to  make  a  child  invincible  —  How 
mightily  faith  has  wrought  in  human  life — Faith  makes 
nations  great— The  old  faith  in  new  forms— The  re- 
ligious inheritance — The  cost  of  teaching. 

xi 


xii  Contents 

f 

PAGE 

CHAPTER  III.    THE  INSTITUTIONS  OF  EDUCATION     .       .    34 
The  Home:    Development  of  the  individual ;  Enemies 
of  the  home — The  School:    The  teacher  the  soul  of  the 

^  school ;  Character  of  teachers — Society:  The  one  end 
and  the  many ;  Society's  stamp  ;  The  occupation  ;  The 
motor  side  ;  The  spirit  of  service  ;  Development  of  feel- 
ing—  Government:  Primary  purpose  —  The  Church: 
A  conservative  force  ;  The  spiritual  thermometer  idea; 
Like  pew,  like  preacher;  The  Church  does  not  meet 
the  needs. 

CHAPTER  IV.    THE  INSTITUTIONS  OP  EDUCATION 

(Continued) 54 

The  Sunday  School:  The  test — Wrong  conception  of 
the  work — Lack  of  definiteness  of  aim — Defects  in  cur- 
riculum— Our  choice — Lack  of  right  officers  and  teachers 
— Good  officers  may  be  had — No  provision  for  action — 

^,  A  child's  religion  and  a  man's  religion — The  better 
way — The  time  to  work — The  larger  field — The  ways 
of  working — The  aim  of  the  Sunday-school — The  op- 
portunity— The  organisation — The  officers:  The  super- 
intendent ;  Assistant  superintendent ;  Secretary  ;  The 
Librarian — The  curriculum — The 'ideal  Sunday-school — 
To  use  all  available  agencies — The  home  has  the  first 
claim. 

PART  II 

THE  TEACHER 

CHAPTER  V.    THE  TEACHER  AND  HIS  WORK      .       .       .77 
The  teacher's  work — The  ambition  for  excellence — 

s  Head  enough — Heart  enough — Time  enough — Liberty 
enough — Too  little  time — The  reward — The  other  side 
— Natures  that  repel. 

CHAPTER  VI.    THE  TEACHER'S  PREPARATION  ...    86 
Importance  of  preparation — The  hurtful  comparison — 
The  child  and  the  Bible — A  profound  problem — God 
has  not  left  himself  without  testimony — How  to  learn 


Contents  xiii 

PAGE 

how  —  God  in  our  history  —  literature  and  art  — 
Teachers'  books  —  How  to  study  children  —  The  stock 
in  trade—  A  teachers'  training  class. 

CHAPTER  VII.  THE  TEACHER  AND  THE  BIBI,E  .  .  100 
The  open  mind  —  A  useless  labour  —  Truth  is  many-sided 
—  Many  roads  to  truth  —  The  truth-seeker  should  be 
free  —  Old  truth  in  new  forms  —  The  real  record  of  the 
Eternal  —The  Bible—  The  Bible  a  library—  It  is  a  book 
of  inspiration. 

CHAPTER  VIII.     THE  TEACHER  AND  THE  CHII^D      .       .  108 
The  two  relations—  Sympathy  —  Patience  —  I^ove  gives 
patience  —  Aptness  to  teach  —  The  child  is  a  problem  — 
The  teacher  before  the  class  —  lyesson  plan. 

PART  III 


CHAPTER  IX.    WHAT  Is  MAN?    ......  121 

What  is  man  ?  —  Soul  and  body  —  Relation  of  mind  and 
body  —  Freedom  to  grow  —  How  shall  we  grow  ? 

CHAPTER  X.    SEI^-ACTIVITY  AND  ENVIRONMENT    .       .  136 
The  many  hungers  —  The  climbing  soul  —  Struggle  and 
character  —  Right  relation  to  environment  —  Open  the    -  - 
prison-house  —  Relations  to  environment  —  Our  inherit- 
ances:  Literary    inheritance—  Scientific  inheritance— 
Esthetic    inheritance  —  Institutional    inheritance  — 
Religious  inheritance  —  Applications  of  this  inheritance 
to  the  development  of  self-activity. 

CHAPTER  XI.    THE  SENSES         ......  146 

Introduction—  Touch—  Taste—  Smell—  Sight—  Hearing 
—  Summary 

CHAPTER  XII.    ATTENTION        ......  i55 

Kinds—  Attention  must  be  taught—  Involuntary  Atten- 
tion —  Expectant  attention  —  Dispersed  attention  — 
Attention  determines  the  current  of  mental  life- 
Attention  and  inattention—  Genius  and  attention.  —— 


xiv  Contents 

PAGE 

CHAPTER  XIII.    APPERCEPTION 164 

Definition — Every  one  carries  his  own  spectacles— The 
struggle — New  classes  for  knowledge— Pre  pare  the 
mind  to  receive — How  apperception  acts — Education  a 

^     permanent  interest  of  life — Summary. 

CHAPTER  XIV.    INTEREST 173 

Interest — The  personal  element — Interest  and  aim — 
Right  age — Right  time — Right  material — Points  of 
contact — Special  hungers — The  office  of  interest — 
Illustrations — Heart  power. 

CHAPTER  XV.    MEMORY 182 

location  of  memory — The  three  heads — Recall  and 
recognition — Conditions  of  remembering — Repetition 
— Begin  early  —  Memory  and  the  higher  powers — 
Memory  a  treasure  house. 

CHAPTER  XVI.    IMAGINATION  AND  ITS  CUI/TURE     .       .  192 
Definition — Culture  value  of  imagination — Materials 
for  imagination — The  practical  value  of  imagination. 

CHAPTER  XVII.  THOUGHT  AND  THOUGHT  CULTURE  .  202 
Definition — The  fundamental  condition — Abundance 
of  thought-material — The  time — A ccumulation  of 
material — Talking  as  a  method  of  accumulating 
material — The  use  of  the  will — Units  of  measurement — 
Methods  of  reasoning — Deduction — Practice  in  think- 
ing— Keeping  one's  temper — Writing  as  a  step  in  the 
thought  process — The  concrete  and  the  abstract— Intel- 
lect as  a  means  of  obviating  our  faults — Stability  of 
character. 

CHAPTER  XVIII.    MOTIVES— KINDS  AND  VAUTE      .       .  214 

Definition  —  Importance  of  motivation  —  Kinds  of 
s  motives — Good  and  bad  incentives — The  hidden  motives 
— Illustration  of  hidden  motives — Things  worth  while 
— The  expulsive  power  of  the  higher  affection — Culti- 
vation of  right  motives— The  test — The  place  for 
emotion — Relation  between  effort  and  accomplishment. 


Contents  xv 

PAGE 

CHAPTER  XIX.    HABIT — GENERAI,  LAWS  ....  228 
Theory  of  habit — Practical  value  of  habit — Physical     ; 
habits — Mental  habits — Moral  habits — How  habit  en- 
slaves— The  sub-conscious  field — Nothing  is  ever  wholly 
lost  from  the  mind — Shield  the  young — Habit  forming: 
Conditions — For    the    formation    of  a    new    habit — 
Personal  habits— Business  habits. 

CHAPTER  XX.    TRAINING  THE  Wm         ....  242 

Irresolution — The  will — Types  of  decision — Apprentice- 
ship in  right  living— How  to  reach  a  child's  will — 
Trained,  not  broken — Wilfulness — Uses  of  the  will — 
Training  the  will — Liberty  and  will — Business  and 
will — Religion  and  will. 

CHAPTER  XXI.    FEEUNG  AND  THE  INNER  LIFE       .       .  252 
Value  of  feeling — Feeling  and  progress — Feeling  not 
an   unmixed  good — The   cultivation    of  feeling — The 
heart  as  an  organ  of  insight — The  inner  and  the  outer 
life— Place  of  ideals  in  character — The  great  ideal. 

CHAPTER  XXII.    TRAINING  A  CHILD'S  FAITH  .        .       .260 
Faith  rests  on  the  few — Guard  the  child — Faith  moves 
from  a  lower  to  a  higher  plane— The  faith  of  a  child  and 
the    faith    of   an    adult  —  Zones  of  brotherliness  — 
Knowledge  and  faith — The  element  of  wonder — Sum- 
mary. 

CHAPTER  XXIII.    FROM  BOYHOOD  TO  MANHOOD      .       .  266 
The  play  spirit — His  religious  life — An  impulse,  then 
a  deed — Truthfulness — A  boy's  feelings — Grief  seems  to 
him  holy — Physical  changes — Mental  changes — Spirit- 
ual changes — Summary. 

CHAPTER  XXIV.    FROM  GIRLHOOD  To  WOMANHOOD       .  277 
Difference  in  the  standards  to  which  boys  and  girls 
are  required  to  conform — Sensitive  to  atmosphere — 
Value  of  ideals — The  right  motive — Business  training 
— The  ministry  of  sorrow — Summary. 


Contents 

PAGE 

PART   IV 

THE  GRADUATE 

CHAPTER  XXV.    THE  ROUNDED  LIFE       ....  289 
Summary  —The  individual — Development  of  the  body 
— Development  of  the  spiritual  nature — Development 
of  society. 

INDEX 297 


PART  I 
THE  SCHOOL  OF  LIFE 


\ 


CHAPTER   I 

IS  OPPORTUNITY 


MANY  a  mother,  as  she  presses  her  child  to  her 
bosom,  sends  up  a  prayer  for  its  safety,  and  looks  with 
joy  and  hope  to  the  future.  Hers  is  not  Tfae 

the  child  that  shall  go  into  sin;  it  shall  win       Parents' 

success,    shall    improve   its    opportunities.      Hope  for 
r    ,  ,        the  Child. 

Many  a  father,  as  he  leads  his  little  son  by 

the  hand,  plans  for  him  great  things,  and  feels  sure  that 
though  others  may  meet  disappointment,  doubt,  and 
defeat  his  son  will  surely  accomplish  remarkable 
things.  But  these  parents  have  need  to  hope  and  pray 
with  reverence  and  with  fear.  The  thousands  in  pris- 
ons all  were  children  once,  and  many  of  these  rested 
their  heads  on  loving  breasts  and  were  led  by  tender 
hands.  The  tramp  that  you  see  from  the  car  window 
and  the  loafer  on  the  street  corner  may  one  day  have 
been  children  of  hope  and  promise;  but  the  education 
of  the  world  and  of  the  home  has  failed,  life  is  passing, 
and  the  achievements  of  these  have  been  other  than 
love  could  wish.  But  hope  springs  eternal  in  the 
human  breast.  Every  generation  looks  for  better  things 
than  those  which  have  happened  to  the  last.  Ours  is 

3 


4  Up  Through  Childhood 

no  exception.  We  are  sustained  by  an  optimism  which 
rises  above  all  discouragement.  Here,  we  wait  and 
hope  and  go  the  round  of  life,  and  our  generation  will 
sink  into  the  grave  with  its  thousands  who  have  been 
disgraced,  and  other  thousands  on  whose  faces  there 
is  the  deep  stamp  of  sorrow,  disappointment,  sin,  or 
shame.  How  many  press  for  food  about  charitable 
institutions,  and  how  many  in  houses  of  refuge  and 
places  of  retreat  bear  in  their  faces  the  marks  of  the 
great  world-struggle:  Failure!  Failure!  Failure!  De- 
spite this  record,  every  one  knows  in  his  own  heart 
that  life  is  opportunity. 

Life  gives  time  and  place  to  grow;  it  calls  out  powers 

and  possibilities  within,  making  man  more  in  quantity 

and  finer  in  quality.     Its  varied  experiences 

Life  Is  Op-  make  a  thousand  rifts  in  his  nature,  through 
portumty. 

which  shines  out  the  inner  glory  of  the  di- 
vine. From  the  reactions  of  life  there  spring  in  heart 
and  mind  ideas,  impulses,  and  aspirations,  which  time 
only  serves  to  rouse  more  fully,  and  which  will  require 
eternity  itself  to  satisfy.  Man's  life  from  the  cradle  to 
the  grave  is  one  long  round  of  preparation  and  develop- 
ment. New  powers  are  discovered;  budding  powers 
are  brought  to  maturity;  and  through  the  varied  ex- 
periences of  life  the  child  comes  step  by  step  to  youth, 
manhood,  middle  life,  and  then  to  old  age.  In  this 
process  he  is  adapting  himself  to  the  civilisation  which 
surrounds  him.  He  is  in  the  School  of  Life.  Environ- 
ment and  Self  are  acting  and  reacting  upon  each  other; 


Life  Is  Opportunity  5 

this  process  of  reaction  we  term  Education.  Viewed 
in  its  larger  aspect,  it  must  continue  as  long  as  life 
itself;  and  it  will  be  extended  by  every  agency  that 
contributes  knowledge  or  power.  The  work  of  educa- 
tion has  not  only  the  whole  period  of  life  for  its  scope 
and  activity,  but  it  has  a  special  period,  when  every 
force  of  nature  and  every  element  of  the  surroundings 
are  contributing  directly  to  the  great  work  of  develop- 
ment and  adaptation. 

When  the  little  stranger  comes  into  the  world  he  is 
in  the  midst  of  mystery;  and  if  the  truth  were  told,  he 
brings  an  organisation  which  is  to  him  as  Purpose 

great  a  mystery  as  the  world  into  which  he  of  the 

Long 
comes.     It  is  not  without  purpose  that  the     peri0(i  Of 

young  being  is  so  long  a  child.  The  mar-  Infancy, 
vellous  adaptability  of  his  nature  and  the  long  period 
of  infancy  are  needed  that  he  may  be  fitted  to  the  civil- 
isation into  which  he  is  born.  But  there  is  more  than 
that:  the  child  must  have  time  to  grow.  There  is  no 
patent  method  of  making  a  child  into  a  man;  the  long 
difficult  pathway  is  the  only  track  that  he  can  pursue. 
And  he  must  go  alone;  all  the  help  parent  or  teacher 
may  offer,  all  the  experience  and  advice  that  may  be 
tendered,  must  be  worked  through  his  own  mind  and 
transformed  into  his  own  coin;  otherwise  he  cannot  use 
it.  Mr.  Fiske's  great  contribution  to  Evolution  was 
the  teaching  that  the  complexity  and  importance  of 
individual  development  depend  upon  the  length  of  the 
period  of  infancy. 


6  Up  Through  Childhood 

"The  lower  animals  are  born  with  an  almost  com- 
plete adaptation  for  the  performance  of  their  life  func- 
Period  of  ti°ns-  The  c°lt  stands  when  only  a  few 
Infancy  in  hours  old.  At  the  age  of  three,  he  can  do 
Man  Com-  almost  all  he  can  eyer  do  ifl  his  iifetime.  It 
pared  with 
that  in  is  not  so  with  a  human  infant.  For  years  it 

Animals.  js  absolutely  dependent  upon  others  for  the 
continuance  of  its  existence.  No  living  creature  is 
more  ignorant,  more  defenceless,  more  entirely  at  the 
mercy  of  beings  other  than  itself.  Destined  for  the 
highest  attainments  of  intelligence,  the  infant  possesses 
the  least  automatic  adaptation  to  the  conditions  of  life. 
Everything  has  to  be  learned  from  the  beginning.  In- 
stinct is  at  the  minimum;  intellect,  undeveloped,  but 
potential,  is  at  the  maximum.  Almost  everything 
done  by  the  child  is  done  by  conscious  physical 
reaction. ' '  — Hiu/ s  Psychology. 

The  following  story,  condensed  from  Jane  Taylor's 
Mysterious  Stranger,  will  serve  to  illustrate: 

Some  years  ago,  in  the  streets  of  a  certain  Oriental 
city,  there  was  seen  a  man  of  peculiar  appearance.  He 
The  Mys-  seemed  enterprising  and  intelligent,  but  the 
terious  inhabitants  very  soon  discovered  that  he  was 
Stranger.  a  stranger,  and  on  investigation  learned  that 
he  was  unacquainted  with  their  language.  A  bene- 
volent nobleman  invited  the  stranger  to  his  home  and 
made  him  comfortable.  The  association  of  the  noble- 
man and  stranger  proved  of  advantage  to  both,  and  in 
a  few  days  the  foreigner  was  able  to  express  himself 


Life  Is  Opportunity  7 

with  a  considerable  degree  of  ease  on  many  of  the  com- 
moner things-  of  life.  In  short  he  was  learning  the 
language  and  adapting  himself  to  the  civilisation  into 
which  he  had  come.  Later,  when  his  story  was  told, 
it  transpired  that  he  had  come  from  a  distant  planet, 
pledging  to  take  upon  himself  the  obligations  and  to 
share  in  the  pleasures  of  the  inhabitants  of  our  earth. 
The  story  of  his  adaptation  to  the  new  civilisation  on 
which  he  had  entered  and  of  the  long  and  painful  effort 
he,  as  a  man,  made  in  adapting  himself  to  our  manners 
and  customs,  thoughts  and  ideals,  need  not  here  be  re- 
counted, but  it  will  help  us  to  feel  more  strongly  the 
advantage  that  comes  to  the  child  from  the  long  period 
of  infancy,  when  his  tastes,  ideals,  and  habits  are  form- 
ing, and  when  he  reaches  out  to  take  new  things  with 
a  welcome  and  an  earnestness  which  rapidly  make  for 
his  successful  initiation  into  life. 

The  little  boy  has  intentionally  hurt  his  playmate, 
and  first  experiences  "and  recognises  remorse;  with  the 
pride  of  a  good  marksman  he  has  brought  The 

to  the  earth  a  bird,  fluttering  in  its  death  Unknown 
agony,— pity  is  born  into  his  life.  He  is 
older,  and  one  day  his  father  introduces  him  to  a 
stranger  with  a  conscious  pride,  and  the  boy  has  a 
sense  of  manhood  which  is  new  to  him.  He  attends  a 
party  or  a  reception,  or  at  the  house  of  a  friend  meets 
a  girl  who  seems  to  him  different  from  all  others;  she 
casts  over  his  thought  and  life  a  nameless  charm  which 
sooner  or  later  he  recognises  as  love.  He  attempts 


8  Up  Through  Childhood 

some  great  undertaking,  and,  after  striving  long  and 
manfully,  finds  that  he  cannot  succeed.  In  this  he 
learned  a  lesson  of  his  own  insufficiency  that  no  preach- 
ing and  no  books  could  ever  tell  him.  He  goes  to  a 
foreign  land,  and,  after  the  exhausting  travel  of  the  day, 
comes  to  a  quiet  hamlet  where  his  country's  flag  is 
displayed;  there  springs  unbidden  a  new  joy  at  the 
thought  of  the  native  land,  and  patriotism  has  been 
born  into  his  life.  In  these  or  similar  ways,  step  by 
step  he  experiences  life  and  comes  into  a  recognition  of 
new  powers  and  new  activities.  All  through  the  age 
of  adolescence  budding  powers  show  themselves,  and 
are  nursed  into  strength  or  are  neglected  and  fail 
through  lack  of  use.  Life  is  opportunity. 

With  the  great  end  of  life  before  us,  we  need  to  plan 
wisely  for  the  development  of  every  soul;  and  there 
needs  to  be  such  planning  that  at  the  end  there  shall 
be  rejoicing  and  satisfaction,  and  not  remorse  for  op- 
portunities neglected  and  time  unused. 

There  is  a  story  of  a  maiden  on  the  shore  of  a  tran- 
quil lake.  She  stepped  into  a  richly  furnished  boat, 
seated  herself,  and,  gently  dipping  her  oars  into  the 
water,  passed  out  on  its  smooth  surface.  In  a  dreamy 
mood  she  rested  her  head  on  the  luxurious  cushions 
and  presently  fell  asleep,  while  the  boat  drifted  on  the 
glistening  surface  of  the  lake.  As  she  moved  in  her 
sleep  her  necklace  was  unfastened,  and  one  by  one  the 
pearls  came  off  and  disappeared  in  the  hidden  depths. 
Still  she  slept  on,  and  with  every  motion  another  pearl 


Life  Is  Opportunity  9 

was  lost.  Not  unlike  this  is  the  slipping  away  of  the 
moments  of  the  young  life,  and  presently  old  age  comes, 
and  we  look  with  sadness  at  the  hours  that  have  been 
wasted  and  the  opportunities  that  have  passed  unused. 
They  are  the  treasures  of  youth;  alas!  too  often  they 
slip  away ! 

"I,ost,  yesterday,  somewhere  between  sunrise  and 
sunset,  two  golden  hours,  each  set  with  sixty  diamond 
minutes.  No  reward  is  offered,  for  they  are  gone  for- 
ever! " — HORACE  MANN. 

There  is  no  one  of  us  who  might  not  use  with  truth 
this  advertisement.  But  there  is  a  sadder  side  than  the 
waste  of  time;  it  comes  from  storing  up  those  things 
which  bring  us  only  pain  and  remorse. 

A  boy  who  had  reached  the  age  of  twenty-one,  in  a 
fit  of  anger  and  impatience,  struck  his  mother.  She 
upbraided  him  for  his  undutiful  conduct, 

and  he  retorted:  "You  have  aimed  to  bewhol?*e; 

sponsible  ? 
kind  to  me,  but  your  kindness  has  been  silly 

and  fatal :  you  urged  me  to  eat  when  I  was  not  hun- 
gry, to  drink  when  I  was  not  thirsty;  sweetmeats  and 
pastry  have  ruined  my  digestion  and  have  made  me  a 
misery  to  myself  and  a  curse  to  my  friends.  You  have 
never  required  me  to  govern  my  temper,  I  have  had  my 
own  way  since  childhood,  I  grew  up  a  wilful,  impatient, 
and  high-spirited  boy,  and  every  one  was  compelled  to 
dance  attendance  to  my  wishes.  Is  it  my  fault  that  at 
twenty-one  I  have  no  digestion,  and  that  I  am  a  slave 
to  every  whim  of  impulse  and  passion  ?  And  is  it  my 


io  Up  Through  Childhood 

fault  that  I  am  impatient,  with  no  power  to  govern  my- 
self, and  that  I  am  tormented  by  a  remorse  which  never 
rests  ?  Is  it  my  fault  that  you,  who  were  my  guide  and 
guardian,  have  neglected  every  restraining  influence 
and  allowed  me  to  go  untrained,  so  that  I  am  the  vic- 
tim of  a  weak  will  and  the  slave  of  a  perverted  taste  ? 
You  upbraid  me  for  the  results  of  your  own  work." 
Scenes  like  these  put  in  a  strong  light  the  parents'  duty 
and  their  responsibility! 

The  child  must  not  only  acquire  a  great  stock  of 
knowledge,  but  he  must  gain  skill.     There  is  the  skill 

of  the  body  by  which  he  is  to  manage  him- 
The 
Adaptation  self.    He  must  learn  to  use  his  hands.    Even 

to  Con-  a  little  child  cannot  feed  himself  gracefully, 
but  with  the  spoon  half  full  of  food  makes  a 
dash  for  his  mouth,  and  in  the  early  stages  of  his  prac- 
tice strikes  nose,  or  cheek,  or  ear.  When  he  tries  to 
walk  he  cannot  find  his  balance,  but  frantically  plunges 
from  chair  to  chair  in  his  effort  to  get  across  the  room. 
There  is  need  for  a  host  of  impressions.  Sensations 
and  perceptions  must  be  collected  in  multitudes.  The 
material  for  thought  must  be  stored,  assorted,  and 
classified,  not  of  course  in  any  exalted  or  conscious 
way  most  of  the  time,  but  definitely,  steadily,  and  in- 
stinctively. The  judgment  must  be  trained,  that  with 
many  a  mistake  and  many  a  correction  he  may  come  at 
last  to  speak  correctly  and  soundly  touching  the  points 
of  daily  experience.  Every  year  should  adapt  him 
more  fully  to  the  surroundings  in  which  he  lives,  and 


Life  Is  Opportunity  1 1 

every  experience  should  do  something  to  qualify  him 
to  meet  the  new  demands  which  advancing  life  offers  to 
his  growing  powers  and  developing  intelligence.  One 
should  go  forward  step  by  step  into  a  larger  life  and 
into  the  realisation  of  a  fine,  noble,  and  beautiful  char- 
acter, which  assures  satisfaction  to  himself  and  joy  to 
all  who  are  touched  by  his  radiant  and  uplifting  influ- 
ence. He  can  fulfil  the  measure  which  his  place  re- 
quires and  acquit  himself  of  the  full  demands  of  society ; 
but  how  slowly  and  in  what  unexpected  ways  he  comes 
into  his  inheritance! 

I  have  said  that  each   must  tread  the  long  dark 
path  of  life  alone.     But  there  are  a  thousand  ways 

in  which  a  kind  and  wise  parent  or  teacher 

.        Each  must 
may   give  help.      It   must  be   given   with    Go  ^ione 

wisdom,  and  it  must  come  in  the  .spirit  of 
kindness,  and  gentleness,  and  service.  But  only  to 
a  degree  can  one  person  profit  by  the  experience 
of  another.  The  mistake  is  often  made  of  thrusting 
upon  the  youth  the  wisdom  of  age  with  a  frantic  impa- 
tience which  urges  acceptance;  but  the  youth  does  not 
accept.  It  is  not  that  he  will  not,  but  he  cannot.  He 
must  learn  life's  lessons  for  himself.  However,  just  as 
he  is  strong,  just  as  he  has  insight  and  power  and  self- 
control,  the  child  will  be  wiser  than  those  who  have 
gone  before,  and  will  succeed  where  they  in  some 
measure  failed.  He  may  in  part  interpret  what  they 
have  seen  and  suffered,  as  from  his  heart  he  under- 
stands and  knows  their  life,  and  is  able  to  incorporate 


12  Up  Through  Childhood 

in  his  life  many  a  lesson  which  caused  them  tears. 
Happy  is  the  growing  child  who,  by  the  guidance  of 
the  teacher  or  parent,  can  himself  go  from  experience  to 
experience,  gathering  for  use  the  nectar  and  leaving 
the  poison !  With  a  clear  insight  and  right  understand- 
ing of  the  aim  of  education,  the  willing  child  and  the 
open-minded  teacher  may  work  together  toward  the  ac- 
complishment of  a  true  and  well  rounded  life,  develop- 
ing a  character  which  is  fine  and  strong  in  all  its  parts. 
If  they  see  that  life  is  opportunity,  if  they  recognise  the 
great  principles  which  govern  it,  there  is  no  reason  why 
these  may  not  be  used  with  joy  and  satisfaction;  but 
teacher  and  parent  must  never  forget  that  the  child  is 
to  work  out  his  own  destiny.  How  often  they  grieve 
in  their  narrow  way  when  he  chooses  a  course  of  action 
which  they  do  not  approve,  or  seeks  surroundings 
which  they  cannot  admire! 

Many  a  parent  who  has  been  made  strong  and  earn- 
est by  a  life  of  struggle  refuses  to  allow  his  son  the  very 
The  elements  by  which  he  himsejf  has  been 

Sheltered  made  great.  He  even  refuses,  to  allow  him 
Child.  tke  Opportunity  of  the  vision  of  life  and  its 

duties;  refuses  to  allow  him  the  complete  consecration 
to  a  purpose  which  would  go  far  toward  making  his 
life  a  success;  and  last  but  not  leas't,  refuses  him  an 
opportunity  to  try  his  own  strength.  The  little  oak  is 
required  to  grow  up  under  the  shade  of  a  great  tree, 
which  keeps  it  in  the  shadow  and  prevents  its  growing 
strong  and  sending  down  great  roots  into  the  subsoil, 


Life  Is  Opportunity  13 

there  to  take  a  hold  which  will  make  it  strong  to  with- 
stand the  storms  of  the  centuries.  Thus  many  a  boy 
has  been  so  sheltered  from  the  storms  of  the  world  that 
it  was  impossible  for  him  to  develop  those  sturdy  ele- 
ments of  character  which  made  the  Duke  of  Welling- 
ton a  tower  of  strength  standing  four-square  to  every 
wind  that  blew.  The  child  must  solve  life's  problems 
for  himself;  he  must  bear  the  responsibility,  he  must 
carry  the  treasure.  Life  is  like  a  jewel  entrusted  to 
the  traveller;  he  comes  to  his  destination  with  every 
part  burnished  and  shining,  or  he  comes  with  shame 
to  confess  duty  neglected  and  work  undone.  Pity  the 
man  who  looks  upon  fond  hopes  and  high  aspirations 
which  have  lost  their  morning  glow!  Alas!  that  ex- 
perience should  rest  like  a  blight  upon  the  thousands 
who  started  out  in  the  morning  of  life  bright  with 
hope!  But  we  can  never  accept  this  defeat.  It  is  not 
human  destiny.  Still  the  soul  of  man  rises  and  will 
not  stay  in  the  shadow.  For  individual  and  society 
there  must  come  a  brighter  prospect.  We  shall  do 
better.  Hvery  one  has  his  field  of  strength — a  side  on 
which  he  surpasses  his  normal  self;  and  in  time  we 
shall  be  wise  enough  to  place  men  and  women  where 
they  may  be  strong  both  to  resist  and  to  accomplish. 

Let  every  person  be  trained  to  reach  the  very  best  his 
nature  will  allow;  then  place  him  in  such 

relation  to  life  and  men  that  he  may  work  .  The 

Striving, 
on  the  strongest  side,  and  we  shall  see  a 

degree  of  excellence  and  achievement  quite  beyond 


H  Up  Through  Childhood 

the  present  deed  or  thought.  I^et  the  woof  of  daily 
circumstance  be  shot  through  with  the  essence  of  the 
spiritual,  and  many  shall  see  '  *  the  light  which  never 
was  on  sea  or  land." 

Given  an  army  of  men  and  women  so  generated  and 
so  trained,  and  society  will  renew  itself.  The  kindlier 
The  Eden  will  come  back  to  men;  and  out  of  the 

Coming  cheerful  and  intelligent  co-operation  of  hon- 
Eden*  est  souls  will  come  a  redeemed  humanity, 
with  strong  bodies,  clear  minds,  true  spirits,  and  deli- 
cate consciences.  Then  we  shall  have  a  society  in 
which  most  will  work  for  the  common  good.  The 
weak  will  be  protected  by  the  strong,  and  the  ignorant 
willingly  taught  by  the  wise. 

The  golden  age  is  in  the  future;  and  with  the  eye  of 
science  and  the  eye  of  faith  we  look  to  its  coming. 
But  this  is  not  a  matter  of  emotion,  of  high  hope  and 
gilded  dreams;  it  is  a  matter  of  struggle,  of  sacrifice, 
of  sterling  common -sense,  of  wise  adaptation  of  means 
to  right  ends.  We  must  know  the  journey's  end,  and 
we  must  understand  every  step  of  the  way.  With  all 
the  high  offices  which  life  offers  we  do  well  to  use  in 
preparation  every  suggestion  which  experience  can 
give. 


H 

UNIVLHSITY 

OF 


CHAPTER  II 

THE  AIM   OF  EDUCATION 

WITH  a  better  understanding  of  man's  nature  and 
tendencies,  we  are  coming  to  a  saner  view  of  the  char- 
acter and  scope  of  education.     In  the  earlier 
days,  men  taught  that  the  world  was  sharply          Wider 

divided  into  the  sacred  and  the  secular;  we  Meaning  of 
r    ,  ^  ,    .    -  Education, 

are  coming  now  to  feel  that  the  earth  is  holy, 

a  workshop  of  the  Omnipotent  in  which  his  purposes 
are  wrought  out  by  the  toiling,  striving  sons  of  men. 
We  have  caught  the  larger  vision.  Man  is  working 
out  the  thoughts  of  the  Omnipotent,  and  as  he  comes 
to  a  realisation  of  the  beauty  and  dignity  of  his  destiny, 
there  break  over  his  life  a  new  sense  of  human  worth 
and  a  new  recognition  of  human  responsibility.  Edu- 
cation takes  a  new  meaning.  In  his  striking  way, 
Parker  says:  "  There  is  but  one  question  in  this  world: 
*  How  to  make  man  better ';  and  but  one  answer:  'Edu- 
cation.' "  When  one  has  such  a  view  of  man's  place 
in  the  world,  he  cannot  trifle,  but  must  give  large  at- 
tention to  his  own  highest  development.  The  mind 
must  be  alert,  active,  incisive,  reasonable;  the  heart 
must  be  true,  tender,  sympathetic,  and  submissive  to 

15 


1 6  Up  Through  Childhood 

judgment;  the  will  must  be  trained  to  require  steadfast 
and  trustworthy  obedience,  always  in  harmony  with 
truth  and  right.  The  end,  in  short,  must  be  to  make 
from  the  material  at  hand,  the  best  man  or  woman 
possible. 

It  is  commonly  supposed  that  there  is  a  great  variety 
of  aims  in  education.  Considered  in  its  narrower  as- 
pect, this  is  true;  but  if  these  aims  are  right 
Variety  aims>  they  all  contribute  to  the  higher  one  of 
character  building,  of  efficiency,  of  practical 
judgment  in  everyday  affairs.  One  makes  the  storing 
of  facts  in  the  memory  the  chief  aim;  another  em- 
phasises the  skill  in  judgment;  another,  the  skill  of 
the  hand.  It  is  supposed  that  if  a  boy  be  taught  to  re- 
cite the  countries  and  rivers  of  Asia  in  regular  order,  if 
he  be  taught  to  do  certain  problems  in  arithmetic,  and 
to  parse  nouns  and  verbs,  that  his  judgment  will  be  so 
trained  that  he  may  know  a  safe  investment.  It  is  be- 
lieved that  whether  he  be  taught  to  cane  a  chair,  make 
a  broom,  or  build  a  house,  it  will  all  in  some  way  min- 
ister to  the  man.  What  is  all  this  but  the  one  idea  in 
different  forms:  the  idea  that  the  call  for  action  will  de- 
velop power,  and  that  power  means  manhood?  The 
demands  of  life  and  experience  with  men  and  things 
must  be  so  used  in  the  training  of  boys  that  they  may 
become  forceful  and  useful  men,  able  to  take  care  of 
themselves  and  to  provide  for  others  who  may  depend 
upon  them.  When  knowledge  is  the  aim,  memory  is 
the  toiler  and  examination  the  taskmaster.  When 


The  Aim  of  Education  1 7 

knowledge  comes  first,  it  must  set  aside  true  righteous- 
ness, skill,  the  finer  feelings,  and  indeed  the  whole 
range  of  virtues;  but  when  character  is  the  major  aim, 
all  the  higher  faculties  have  their  legitimate  work,  and 
a  conscience  void  of  offence  encourages,  chides,  and  in- 
spires us  that  the  right  result  may  be  accomplished. 
When  skill  is  the  aim,  education  becomes  the  old  ap- 
prentice system,  with  definite  and  rapid  demands  for 
the  repetition  of  a  simple  kind  of  action;  and  those  who 
are  thus  educated  become  repeaters  of  oft-repeated 
things.  They  are  skilful  machines,  made  to  do  a  de- 
finite work  almost  without  fault,  and  yet  lacking  the 
fulness,  clearness,  range,  and  vigour  of  men. 

No  one  will  question  the  value  of  machinery  to  re- 
lieve men  from  the  drudgery  of  much  of  the  world's 
work;  but  who  can  fail  to  see  that  the  ex-  M&chinery 
treme  divisions  of  labour  which  machinery  and 

has  brought  into  our  modern  industrial  life  Manhood- 
have  resulted  in  making  many  of  the  workers  so  many 
fractions  instead  of  units?  I  once  visited  a  shoe  factory 
in  which  a  single  shoe  passed  through  more  than 
eighty  different  hands.  One  workman  did  nothing 
but  pile  together  three  little  bits  of  leather  and  drive  a 
nail  through  them.  Think  of  this  occupation  from 
morning  till  night,  for  a  month,  a  year,  a  lifetime!  Is 
there  anything  that  withers  more?  A  man's  business 
ought  to  continue  his  education.  As  it  is  in  the  vari- 
ous lines  of  industrial  activity  to-day,  machinery  has 
been  developed  until  no  workman  may  longer  carry  out 


1 8  Up  Through  Childhood 

a  complete  process.  He  is  an  operator  of  machines,  a 
man  who  makes  part  of  a  waggon,  a  hat,  a  shoe,  or  a 
coat;  a  man  who  lives  an  endless  round  of  fractions, 
the  same  fraction  with  the  same  reaction  on  his  soul. 
He  is  a  part  of  the  pitiless  grind  of  an  industrial  system, 
which  in  many  ways  fails  to  develop  thought  or  action. 
With  all  this  variety  of  aims,  any  careful  thinker  will 
recognise  that  each  is  only  a  part  of  the  wide  range  of 
Unity  of  educational  activities  necessary  to  call  out 
Aim  in  All  and  develop  strong,  noble,  and  beautiful 
Education,  characters  in  men  of  widely  different  endow- 
ments. We  not  only  need  a  true  aim,  but  we  need  that 
practice  which  will  establish  habits  of  right  action;  no- 
thing else  will  meet  our  purpose.  There  is  a  great  deal 
of  good  intention  and  much  high  aspiration,  but  with 
it  all  there  is  need  for  a  conscious  recognition  of  the 
spiritual  element  in  life  and  conduct.  Our  national  life 
is  permeated  by  a  wonderful  industrial  activity;  and 
this  activity  has  resulted  in  such  a  development  of  the 
material  world  as  has  not  been  seen  for  two  thousand 
years.  We  have  unconsciously  come  to  glorify  force, 
to  honour  houses  and  lands,  and  title  and  power,  without 
stopping  to  inquire  how  these  houses  and  lands  were 
gained,  and  without  asking  how  the  power  is  used. 
Let  me  plead  for  the  consideration  of  the  sources  and 
uses  of  material  wealth,  and  for  a  fuller  recognition  of 
the  spiritual  elements  as  a  supreme  necessity  in  all 
standards  of  life  and  plans  of  conduct.  It  is  true  that 
the  material  advancement  of  this  age  has  made  possible 


The  Aim  of  Education  19 

many  desirable  things  which  before  were  beyond  our 
reach,  but  in  failing  to  consider  life  in  its  spiritual  as- 
pects we  have  lost  some  of  the  most  valuable  forces  of 
our  day  and  generation.  It  is  not  enough  that  we  can 
cross  the  Atlantic  in  less  than  six  days,  that  we  can 
plant  thousands  of  acres  in  our  great  West,  and  raise 
wheat  to  feed  the  hungry  millions;  it  is  not  enough 
that  we  do  these  things,  unless  those  who  travel  travel 
for  a  worthy  purpose,  and  unless  the  hungry  are  fed  in 
order  that  they  may  live  righteously.  Is  there  a  higher 
purpose  than  that  which  is  implied  in  the  question 
1 '  What  shall  a  man  profit  if  he  gain  the  whole  world 
and  lose  his  own  soul  ?  " — what  is  the  gain  if  the  man 
shall  lose  himself  to  win  a  fortune  ?  The  inscription 
on  the  old  tombstone,  "Born  a  man,  and  died  a 
grocer,"  is  to-day  true  of  thousands.  With  all  our 
glorification  of  the  advancement  of  this  age,  we  shall 
do  well  to  remember  that  the  soul  is  still  oracular,  and 
that  we  must  suffer  for  every  time  that  we  submerge 
the  divine  in  our  fellow  men  or  in  ourselves.  It  is  the 
spirit  that  is  chief,  the  spirit  that  should  rule.  The 
spiritual  hunger  must  first  be  recognised  and  satisfied. 
The  great  end  of  human  life  is  the  accumulation  of 
human  wealth,  and  this  wealth  we  call  character. 

No  one  will  question  that  salvation  in  its  highest  and 
best  sense  is  the  aim  to  be  set  in  this  work;  The  Aim  in 
and  it  is  such  a  salvation  as  saves  continu-  Character 
ally,  and  it  is  salvation  for  the  individual  BuildinS- 
and  for  society.  We,  forgetting,  sometimes  make  our 


20  Up  Through  Childhood 

aim,  social  culture,  the  training  in  good  manners,  the 
study  of  history  or  even  of  the  Bible;  but  the  aim 
should  be  the  development  in  the  individual  of  a  char- 
acter efficient  for  good,  a  character  which  will  prepare 
to  serve;  and  through  the  individual  comes  that 
larger  service  which  ministers  to  the  welfare  of  the 
community. 

"  And  the  entire  object  of  true  education  is  to  make 
people  not  merely  do  the  right  things,  but  enjoy  the 
right  things — not  merely  industrious,  but  to  love  in- 
dustry— not  merely  learned,  but  to  love  knowledge — 
not  merely  pure,  but  to  love  purity — not  merely  just, 
but  to  hunger  and  thirst  after  justice." — RUSKIN, 
Traffic. 

The  old  monastic  idea,  that  the  body  is  the  enemy  of 
the  spirit,  and  that  only  by  the  abuse  of  the  body  are 
we  able  to  bring  about  the  triumph  of  the 
acter  spirit,  is  now  practically  discarded.  We 

Efficient  have  come  to  see  that  the  body  is  right  and 
true,  and  that  with  proper  care  and  required 
discipline  it  may  be  made  a  power  to  help  us  on  to  God. 
We  are  made  up  of  the  physical  and  the  spiritual,  and 
upon  the  harmonious  action  of  our  different  natures 
will  depend  the  success  in  all  the  activities  of  life.  It 
is  first  required  that  the  body  may  be  strong  and 
healthy,  in  order  that  it  may  minister  to  right  instincts 
and  worthy  desires.  The  great  revival  in  devotion  to 
exercise  and  the  general  participation  in  outdoor 
games  is  one  of  the  best  signs  of  our  times,  and  pro- 


The  Aim  of  Education  2 1 

mises  much  for  the  advancement  of  our  people.  Let  the 
body  be  governed  by  a  strong  will,  and  let  the  mind  be 
dominated  by  high  desires  and  sustained  by  vigorous 
common-sense,  and  we  shall  have  a  character  that  right 
well  becomes  a  man.  Taking  for  granted  the  health 
of  the  body  and  of  the  mind,  I  venture  to  mention 
seven  of  the  elements  of  a  character  efficient  for  good. 
Not  that  there  is  any  reason  why  there  should  be  seven 
instead  of  two,  or  twenty;  but  that  with  a  few  elements 
definitely  stated,  a  teacher  will  work  more  directly  to 
the  right  end.  These  are :  love,  honesty,  insight,  open- 
mindedness,  courage,  perseverance,  knowledge. 

Drummond  calls  love  the  greatest  thing  in  the  world. 
Paul  names  faith,  hope,  and  charity,  and  concludes  that 
charity  is  greatest  of  these.     Christ  himself 
has  called  love  highest  of  all,  and  given  as 
the  great  commandments,  love  to  God  and  love  to  our 
neighbour. 

There  is  an  honesty  that  is  wider  in  its  application 
than  the  mere  paying  of  one's  debts  or  fulfilling  his 

promise.   It  is  the  honesty  of  thought,  word, 

Honesty. 

and  deed,  and  may  be  made  to  cover  sincer- 
ity, truthfulness,  and  that  rugged  sort  of  honesty  that 
establishes  permanent  relations. 

How  many  people  who  are  really  kind  and  noble  in 
nature  trample  upon  the  feelings  of  a  friend!    And  it 

is  not  because  they  would  do  this,  but  be- 

Insight. 
cause  of  a  kind  of  blindness  which  hinders 

them  from  seeing  things  as  they  are.     I  am  led  to  place 


22  Up  Through  Childhood 

insight  very  high  in  the  scale  of  the  virtues  of  char- 
acter. It  is  not  only  the  insight  of  the  mind,  but  the 
insight  of  the  heart.  Here  rest  all  the  beauty,  and 
glory,  and  success  of  "  Put  yourself  in  his  place." 

By  open-mindedness  I  mean  that  kind  of  selective 
receptivity  which  is  unwilling  to  turn  aside  without 
Open-  examination  of  those  things  which  are  new 
minded-  and  strange.  I  mean  that  attitude  of  mind 
ness<  which  seeks  for  truth  and  all  truth  at  any 

cost,  and  welcomes  it  as  the  highest  satisfaction  of  a 
hungry  mind. 

In  a  world  so  fraught  with  pain  and  loss,  so  filled 

with  dangers,  real  and  imaginary,  a  courageous  heart 

is  a  thousand  times  more  sure  of  winning 

the  success  which  is  permanent,  than  any 

other.     And  such  a  heart,  by  the  very  spirit  of  heroism 

which  it  manifests,  is  much  more  likely  to  preclude 

defeat  than  one  more  doubtful. 

It  is  not  enough  that  we  have  love  and  honesty  and 

insight  and  open-mindedness  and  courage;   we  must 

desire  to  do  the  right  in  the  right  way.     We 

ance  must  have  the  right  mind,   and  we  must 

have  that  boldness  which  cannot  fail.     But 

more  than  that,  we  must  have  perseverance,  which,  if 

defeated  once,  twice,  or  thrice,  returns  to  the  attack. 

It  is  the  steady  dropping  that  wears  away  the  stone, 

and  the  spirit  of  never-die  which  wins  the  victory. 

L,ast  in  this  list  I  place  knowledge, — knowledge  of 
one's  self  and  knowledge  of  the  world.  Knowledge 


The  Aim  of  Education  23 

from  books  and  knowledge  from  one's  own  heart,  and 
from  the  hearts  of  his  fellow  men.  Knowledge  is 
power.  It  gives  breadth  of  view,  makes  one 

strong  in  the  belief  that  he  is   right,  and         Know- 
ledge, 
gives  a  new  power  to  his  efforts,  because  he  is 

freed  from  bondage  to  the  unknown.  One  must  know 
his  field.  ' '  The  world  fears  the  man  of  one  book. ' '  To 
know  deeply  and  well  is  the  secret  of  victory. 

It  is  not  enough  in  these  days  that  people  be  good  in 
the  sense  that  they  are  not  bad;  they  must  be  earnest, 
energetic,  aggressive,  and  progressive  work- 
ers of  righteousness.     It  will  no  longer  do       Positive 

Goodness, 
for  a  person  to  be  good,  but  he  must  be  good 

for  something.  There  must  be  in  the  character  high 
quality  and  large  quantity. 

Whoever  has  watched  closely  the  result  of  the  ordin- 
ary education  due  to  home,  school,  church,  society, 
and  government,  cannot  doubt  that  the  product  is  too 
small  to  justify  the  effort  put  forth.  With  all  our  ma- 
chinery and  all  our  effort,  we  generally  fail  to  develop 
a  sufficient  amount  of  the  man.  Our  work  lacks  in 
quantity,  as  well  as  in  quality.  Every  child  has  a 
right  to  the  highest  and  best  development  possible  to 
his  endowment.  Our  students  should  have  better  con- 
trol of  themselves;  they  should  be  able  to  use  them- 
selves; they  should  be  more,  in  order  that  they  may  do 
more.  We  do  want  higher  quality;  but  just  as  truly 
we  want  more  quantity.  We  must  have  the  best  and 
more  of  it.  We  need  the  highest  type  of  man :  the  one 


24  Up  Through  Childhood 

who  pays  with  what  he  is;  there  are  others  who  pay 
with  what  they  do,  and  a  few  who  pay  with  what  they 
say,  but  the  cheques  of  the  last  always  go  to  protest, 
and  the  other  two  paymasters  are  becoming  more  and 
more  recognised. 

There  is  no  factor  in  education  that  will  contribute 
more  to  this  end  of  quantity  and  quality  than  the  great 
The  religious  element.  Here,  if  anywhere,  is  to 

Religious  be  found  the  dominant  motive  which  with  a 
Element,  sleepless  vigilance  will  cause  a  child  to  make 
the  most  of  himself.  Says  President  Dabney:  "  The 
true  education  trains  men  to  think  right  on  a  straight 
line,  to  feel  right,  to  will  right,  to  do  right,  and  so  to 
be  right;  it  makes  character  not  only  of  moral  abstract 
goodness,  but  in  practical  efficiency — a  character  that 
does  good  things.'*  Now,  for  the  development  of  this 
character  that  does  good  things,  there  is  needed  a  de- 
finite, sensible,  religious  training.  Even  wise  old  Cicero 
in  pagan  Rome  had  already  seen  that  there  must  be 
training  for  right  living,  and  that  the  laws  which 
govern  such  training  might  be  organised  and  stated. 

' '  It  should  not  be  claimed  that  there  is  no  art  or  sci- 
ence of  training  up  to  virtue.  Remember  how  absurd 
it  would  be  to  believe  that  even  the  most  trifling  em- 
ployment has  its  rules  and  methods,  and  at  the  same 
time  that  the  highest  of  all  departments  of  human 
effort — virtue — can  be  mastered  without  instruction  and 
practice. ' ' — CICERO. 

For  the  development  of  a  sound  character  there  must 


The  Aim  of  Education  25 

be  a  right  aim  and  right  methods.  What  would  be 
thought  of  a  master  builder  who  should  begin  to  rear 
a  palace  without  plans  and  specifications;  of  The  Aim 
an  engineer  who  should  attempt  a  Brooklyn  Determines 
Bridge  without  all  essential  knowledge  as  the  Action- 
to  the  location  of  the  structure,  the  character  of  the 
materials,  the  arrangement  of  the  parts,  and  a  know- 
ledge of  the  strain  which  would  be  likely  to  come  upon 
every  abutment,  beam,  or  cable  ?  What  farmer  would 
venture,  with  hopes  of  harvest,  to  plant  a  field  without 
considering  whether  the  seed  were  adapted  to  the  soil, 
climate,  and  season  ?  What  engineer  would  throw  the 
lever  of  the  engine  which  would  carry  his  train  down 
the  track  without  first  considering  whether  it  was  to 
lead  to  the  destination  desired  ?  In  short,  is  there  any 
sensible  man  who  does  not  consider  aim  as  fundamental 
in  determining  his  course  of  action  ? 

It  is  not  enough  that  something  be  studied,  but  that 
thing  must  be  studied  which  will  contribute  to  the 
growth  of  the  higher  nature  and  the  en- 
thronement  of  the  will.     No  time-honoured  Determines 

customs,    no  preconceived  notions,  sacred       the  Cur' 

L  .        ,          riculum. 

or  secular,  lay  or  ecclesiastical,  must  be  al- 
lowed to  hinder  the  choice  of  right  material  and  the 
abandonment  of  that  which  fails  to  serve  our  purpose. 
The  good  of  the  child  is  the  supreme  end.  If  we  be- 
lieve facts  are  to  educate,  our  curriculum  will  abound 
in  facts.  If  we  seek  skill,  our  curriculum  will  abound 
in  exercises.  If  we  seek  feeling,  we  will  provide 


26  Up  Through  Childhood 

abundant  teaching  in  the  field  of  emotion.  In  short, 
whatever  our  aim,  we  will  offer  the  material  which 
contributes  to  that  end. 

When  knowledge  is  the  end  to  be  gained,  all  forces 

focus  upon  loading  the  memory  with   facts.     There 

must    be    classification,    repetition,    drill, 

1  nc  Aim 

Determines  words!    words!    words!    until   the  head  is 

the  weary  and  the  heart  is  sick;  but  with  char- 

Method.  .,..,•  •-, 

acter  as  the  aim  there  is  a  wider  range  of 

activity,  and  a  range  which  seeks  the  development  of 
all  the  powers.  The  purpose  is  to  make  something 
greater  than  a  scholar,  it  is  to  make  a  person,  a  man, 
a  woman,  ready  for  the  duties,  exigencies,  joys,  sor- 
rows, hopes,  and  aspirations  of  daily  life.  To  this 
end,  the  method  of  teaching  is  varied  to  suit  the  needs 
of  the  growing  child,  and  changed  from  time  to  time  so 
as  to  give  him  that  wide  range  of  activity  which  will 
insure  a  regular,  systematic,  and  wholesome  develop- 
ment of  his  powers.  I  have  often  wondered  that  we 
have  been  so  long  blinded  to  the  great  lessons  which 
the  good  Father  is  teaching  us  always.  We  have  the 
change  of  seasons,  with  the  inviting,  hopeful  days  of 
spring-time;  the  steady,  sturdy  growing  days  of  sum- 
mer; the  quiet,  ripening,  completing  days  of  autumn; 
and  the  cold  and  changeful  days  of  winter,  giving 
variety,  encouragement,  vigour,  and  inspiration.  Na- 
ture on  every  hand  calls  to  us  with  a  thousand  voices, 
teaching  us  new  lessons  with  the  changing  days,  les- 
sons which  develop  life  and  character.  It  is  we  who 


The  Aim  of  Education  27 

have  chosen  the  humdrum,  the  commonplace,  the  ordi- 
nary, the  monotonous.  How  the  nature  of  the  child 
calls  to  us  with  silver  voice  to  climb  the  heights! 

When  character  is  the  aim,  the  work  no  longer  seems 
petty,  but  with  a  proper  vision  and  a  finer  insight  there 
is  born  a  patience  which  fails  not,  a  love  The  Aim 
which  suffers  long  and  is  kind,  a  joy  which  Determines 
springs  from  faith  in  the  final  outcome  of  Ofthe 
work,  wisely  directed  and  conscientiously  Teacher, 
done.  If  character  is  our  aim  in  education,  and 
we  strive  by  our  work  to  exalt  in  the  minds  of  the 
students  not  only  the  love  of  good  things,  but  the 
disposition  and  determination  to  do  them,  our  love  and 
theirs  become  radiant.  If,  by  the  training  we  give,  we 
can  insure  to  them  the  power  to  carry  out  this  deter- 
mination, how  marvellous  is  the  inheritance  into  which 
they  enter,  and  how  large  becomes  our  calling!  In  the 
light  of  this  high  aim,  material,  didactic,  cheap,  or 
common  service  is  no  longer  acceptable;  methods  un- 
systematic, unacceptable  to  the  young  mind,  are  no 
longer  permissible;  and  the  spirit,  impatient,  petty,  and 
perverse,  is  no  longer  possible.  The  high  aim  of  char- 
acter demands  a  worthy  curriculum;  wise  and  just 
methods;  and  a  teacher  of  broad,  sympathetic,  and 
noble  spirit. 

Our  aim  in  education  must  include  the  religious 
element,  because  religious  instinct  is  a  part  of  man's 
nature,  and  rightly  considered  is  one  of  the  most  prom- 
ising powers  for  the  development  of  strong  and  worthy 


28  Up  Through  Childhood 

motives.  These  motives,  as  they  enter  deeply  into  the 
life  of  the  child,  become  more  and  more  an  agency 
The  for  good,  accomplishing  large  things  and 

Religious  vivifying  the  whole  nature,  strengthening 
Funda-  ^  with  purpose,  and  re-enforcing  it  with  a 
mental.  determination  and  a  perseverance  which 
overcome  all  obstacles. 

It  is  not  to  be  denied  that  there  has  been  much  un- 
wise teaching  of  religion,  and  that  holy  things  have 
often  been  presented  in  a  way  to  repel  rather  than  to 
attract  the  unperverted  nature  of  the  child.  There  is 
much  need  to  warn  against  blindness  and  hypocrisy. 
But  the  teacher  who  accepts  this  responsibility  must 
not  hesitate.  The  desire  for  the  divine  is  fundamental, 
and  every  heart  has  its  longing  for  that  Power  which 
is  above  and  beyond  itself.  The  child  will  find  a  wel- 
come. It  was  the  Master  who  took  a  little  child  and 
set  him  in  the  midst  of  his  disciples,  saying,  "  Of  such 
is  the  kingdom  of  heaven."  When  the  young  man 
came  and  kneeled  in  humility,  Jesus,  looking  on  him, 
loved  him.  His  hand  is  still  extended.  In  every  land 
and  in  every  civilisation  there  have  been  earnest  and 
true  seekers  after  God.  This  yearning  belongs  to  the 
human  heart. 

"All  the  world  over  I  wonder, 

In  lands  that  I  never  have  trod, 
Are  people  eternally  seeking 
For  the  signs  and  steps  of  a  God  ?  " 

History  teems  with  examples  of  individuals  and  races 


The  Aim  of  Education  29 

that  have  been  seeking  after  God.  Child  and  philo- 
sopher have  felt  the  same  longing  and  uttered  the  same 
cry;  often  it  has  been  a  cry  in  the  silence  of  the  heart, 
but  none  the  less  masterful,  and  none  the  less  absolute 
in  thought  and  conduct. 

Founded  as  it  is  in  the  nature  of  man,  the  yearning 
for  the  divine  can  scarcely  be  stifled.  After  allowing 
for  all  the  mistakes  and  errors  and  crimes 
wrought  in  the  name  of  faith,  any  student  of  Reason  for 
history  must  conclude  that  it  has  been  one  Religious 
of  the  great  motor  agents  in  the  world's  pro-  Culture. 
gress.  A  far  vision  and  a  supreme  faith  have  made 
men  great. 

Count  me  o'er  earth's  chosen  heroes,  —  they  were  souls  that 

stood  alone, 
Stood  serene,   and  down  the  future  saw    the    golden  beam 

incline 

To  the  side  of  perfect  justice,  mastered  by  their  faith  divine, 
By  one  man's  plain  truth  to  manhood  and  to  God's  supreme 

design. 


The  religious  element  is  one  of  the  unconquerable 
forces  of  individual  character.    If  you  would 


lead  a  child  to  the  highest,  equip  him  with       Make  a 

all  aims  and  aspirations  which  have  their  Child 

,  .       Invincible. 
basis  in  the  divine,  and  you  will  make  him 

invincible. 

We  think  of  Joan  of  Arc,  marvellous  in  her  insight, 
unequalled   in   her   accomplishment,   surpassing    the 


30  Up  Through  Childhood 

hope  which  could  be  founded  on  human  probability. 
She  wrought  as  one  in  touch  with  the  Infinite,  and 
How  won  success  hearing  the  voices  which  were 

Mightily      not  of  earth. 


Wr  hi  across  untried  seas,  into  realms  which 

in  Human  the  wildest  imagination  had  but  dreamed  of, 
Life!  braving  unknown  terrors,  disregarding  the 

indifference  and  atheism  of  wealth  and  power,  the  in- 
trepid Columbus,  moved  by  his  sublime  faith,  pressed 
to  the  shores  of  the  New  World  and  added  a  continent 
to  the  territory  of  civilisation. 

So  with  Loyola,  who  traversed  many  lands  and  mas- 
tered civilisations,  wrought  out  systems  and  planned 
organisations  which  commanded  the  courts  of  all 
Kurope,  that  he  might  nourish  the  faith  to  which  he 
had  given  his  life. 

There  was  Luther,  who,  in  the  sublimity  of  his  hero- 
ism, divided  the  organised  ecclesiasticism  of  the  west- 
ern world,  and  turned  it  again  to  the  foundations  of  a 
pure  faith. 

There  were  L,atimer  and  Ridley,  who  gave  them- 
selves to  the  flames  that  they  might  bear  testimony  to 
a  faith  which  made  them  invincible. 

There  was  Wesley,  with  the  learning  and  culture  of 
Oxford,  who,  moved  by  a  zeal  for  righteousness  and 
by  his  love  for  his  fellow  men,  preached  a  reformation 
which  stirred  all  Kngland,  and  turned  the  course  of  life 
and  thought  in  channels  affecting  the  current  of  civil- 
isation to  our  own  day. 


The  Aim  of  Education  31 

There  was  Gordon,  master  Christian  and  master 
soldier,  Christ-like  among  savants  or  savages. 

There  was  our  own  Washington,  who,  in  the  dark 
days  of  Valley  Forge,  knelt  in  prayer  to  seek  strength 
for  the  making  of  a  nation. 

There  was  Lincoln,  who,  in  the  trying  hours  of  the 
great  Civil  War,  turned  again  and  again  to  the  Unseen 
One  for  solace  and  for  comfort. 

The  story  is  everywhere  the  same.  Priest  and  patriot, 
soldier  and  scientist,  men  of  learning  and  men  of  un- 
taught sense,  lovers  of  their  kind  and  workers  for 
righteousness,  everywhere  have  been  sustained  and 
soothed  by  an  unfaltering  trust  which  led  them  through 
many  a  dark  hour  of  struggle  and  brought  out  their 
lives  triumphant,  to  be  guides  for  the  people,  beacon- 
lights  to  the  true  eternity. 

The  religious  element  is  one  of  the  irrepressible  forces 
in  civilisation.  Brave  old  Mohammed,  warrior  and 
prophet  of  God,  had  caught  the  far  vision, 

r  a.itn 
and  led  his  forces  from  victory  to  victory.          Makes 

Cromwell's   Ironsides   were  invincible  be-        Nations 
cause  they  believed  in  God;  so  the  mission- 
aries in  the  heart  of  darkest  Africa;  the  Continental 
Army  under  Washington,  the  man  of  prayer.     Faith 
has  ruled  the  world,  will  rule  it;  faith  is  invincible! 

But  this  faith,  marvellous  as  a  motive  power,  must 
from  age  to  age  be  guided  by  knowledge,  and  restated, 
subject  to  the  great  laws  of  truth.  Growth  is  a  law 
of  life;  readjustment  has  always  been  necessary;  and 


32  Up  Through  Childhood 

without  pain  and  without  protest  we  must  not  only 
allow,  but  welcome,  the  adjustment  of  the  religious 
Th  Old  ideals  °f  tne  Past  *o  the  life  and  activity 
Faith  in  of  our  own  times.  Such  adaptation  of  our 

New  religious  inheritance  to  the  needs  of  to-day 

Forms.          .      ,          .         _  . 

is  the  price  of  its  continuance. 

No  student  can  afford  to  neglect  or  ignore  our  re- 
ligious inheritance.  It  is  the  crystallisation  of  great 
The  Re-  ideals,  rich,  noble,  worthy;  it  is  the  gather- 
ligious  In-  ing  together  of  the  best  that  man  has  known 
i  ance.  an(j  tjjOUgnt  an(j  f^  touching  this  relation 
to  his  God  and  to  his  fellow  men;  it  is  the  master  princi- 
ple of  conduct  which  has  ruled  thought  and  governed 
action;  and  he  who  would  be  a  guide  of  children,  work- 
ing out  in  them  the  finest  and  best  character  that  their 
endowment  will  permit,  may  as  well  hope  for  a  good 
harvest  with  only  half  a  sowing,  as  to  expect  a  good, 
strong  character,  with  the  moral  nature  of  the  child 
untaught  and  his  higher  nature  unquickened. 

But  the  price  of  this  teaching  is  beyond  any  other. 
The  teacher  or  religious  reformer,  who  would  readjust 
The  °^  standards  and  establish  the  old  truths  in 

Cost  of  a  new  form,  must  be  in  earnest.  Of  him  the 
Teaching.  wori(j  requires,  as  proof  of  his  sincerity,  the 
marks  of  the  nails  in  hands  and  feet.  No  temporising 
son  of  ease,  no  man  seeking  his  own  comfort  at  the  cost 
of  the  great  work  committed  to  his  hands,  will  ever 
win  confidence,  will  ever  accomplish  this  work  which 
he  has  dared  to  attempt.  He,  like  John  and  James, 


The  Aim  of  Education  33 

may  declare  himself  able  to  drink  of  the  cup  of  his 
Master,  and  to  be  baptised  with  the  baptism  of  service 
which  Jesus  sealed  with  his  life.  But  he  must  make 
full  proof  of  his  earnestness,  and  spend  himself  unto 
death. 

3 


CHAPTER  III 

THE  INSTITUTIONS  OF  EDUCATION 

The  Home 

THE  ideal  home  requires  the  husband  and  father  at 
the  head  as  keeper,  guide,  protector,  provider,  and 
director;  the  wife  and  mother  as  the  nourisher,  the 
caretaker,  the  comforter.  The  children  are  not  only 
the  results  of  the  union,  but  the  objects  of  care,  to  be 
sustained,  developed,  and  to  receive  into  their  lives 
preferably  the  finest  and  best  of  the  natural  and  ac- 
quired characteristics  of  the  parents.  The  home  pro- 
vides for  the  perpetuation  of  the  race,  and  for  handing 
down  from  generation  to  generation  the  best  that  has 
been  wrought  out  and  won  from  contending  forces  in 
the  struggles  and  growth  of  the  children  of  men. 

But  the  best  and  greatest  of  all  is  the  development 
of  the  individual,  the  opportunity  for  the  growth  and 
Develop-  the  un^olding  of  the  human  soul.  The 
ment  of  the  home  is  to  furnish  that  environment  which 
Individual.  win  alk)W  the  jncip{ent  man  to  come  to  ^is 

own  estate.     When  the  home  is  rightly  thought  of  by 
each  member,  it  will  be  so  placed  that  the  varied  forces 

34 


The  Institutions  of  Education       35 

playing  upon  the  active  Self  will  result  in  a  develop- 
ment that  will  carry  the  human  standard  a  little  beyond 
that  attained  by  the  parent;  it  will  be  an  improvement 
on  the  family  type.  The  greatest  need  of  the  world  is 
better  men,  of  finer  instincts,  higher  purposes,  more 
abiding  aspirations.  For  the  development  of  a  strong 
man  there  is  no  agency  equal  to  a  good  home.  This 
home  must  be  protected  from  many  of  its  self-styled 
friends,  who  are,  though  unwittingly,  often  enemies. 

A  score  of  forces  in  modern  life  are  contending  against 
the  home.  There  are  the  many  outside  Enemies 
demands  which  make  it  almost  impossible  of  the 

for  the  members  of  the  family  to  enjoy  the  Home, 
ideal  home  life  about  their  own  fireside. 

There  is  Society,  with  its  inexorable  claims;  the 
Club,  with  ties  noble  and  ignoble,  with  its  ends  whole- 
some or  vicious;  Politics,  with  its  pressing  demands; 
Business,  marked  by  fierceness  of  competition  and  a 
pitiless  exaction  which  allows  no  rest;  School,  which 
demands  the  time  of  the  children  day  and  evening;  the 
Church,  with  its  meetings  every  night  in  the  week  and 
all  day  Sunday,  some  of  them  of  questionable  utility 
from  the  standpoint  of  character  making.  We  are  a 
people  who  congregate  and  organise,  until  it  has  come 
to  be  said  that  wherever  two  or  three  Americans  are 
gathered  together  there  are  a  president  and  a  secretary. 
We  organise  and  organise,  and  each  new  organisation 
makes  a  series  of  new  demands. 

There  is  the  great  boarding-house  problem,  which  has 


36  Up  Through  Childhood 

come  to  be  one  of  the  mighty  forces  to  substitute  arti- 
ficial ties  for  the  more  exalted  natural  ones.  This  life 
begets  a  superficial  way  of  acting  and  thinking.  Any 
man  will  fight  for  his  hearthstone,  but  where  is  the 
man  who  will  fight  for  his  boarding-house?  It  is  a 
serious  personal  lack  when  the  rich  love  of  the  human 
soul  cannot  strike  deep  its  roots  in  a  strong,  nourishing 
soil  which  promises  permanence.  Herein  rests  one  of 
the  greatest  advantages  in  owning  property :  character 
gains  an  element  of  permanence,  if  it  has  time  to  grow 
without  being  disturbed.  But  the  abuse  comes  when, 
instead  of  owning  property,  it  owns  us  and  we  become 
slaves  to  our  possessions.  Many  a  man  has  begun  with 
a  home  which  was  at  first  a  place  of  shelter  and  com- 
fort, but  as  his  goods  have  increased  little  by  little,  his 
possessions  have  come  to  own  him.  Remember  that 
the  man  who  wants  little  is  always  rich,  and  the  man 
who  has  much  is  not  always  rich.  Sometimes  a  man 
owns  a  house:  sometimes  the  house  owns  the  man.  It 
is  better  for  the  man  to  own  the  house,  and  for  him 
to  bear  in  mind  that  a  very  big  man  can  live  in  a  very 
small  house.  This  life  can  give  at  best  one  thing — 
contentment .  To  illustrate : 

"I  once  had  a  summer  place,"  said  Dr.  Shrady, 
11  named  '  Pine  Ridge,'  seven  or  eight  miles  north  of 
Kingston.  There  were  pleasant  roads  round  about, 
and  almost  every  day  I  went  out  with  a  team,  driving 
myself.  One  day  when  driving  alone  on  Albany  Ave- 
nue, Kingston,  a  butcher's  boy,  mistaking  me  for  a 


The  Institutions  of  Education       37 

coachman,  and  seeing  I  had  no  companion,  hailed  me, 
shouting:  '  Say,  John,  can't  you  give  a  fellow  a  lift? ' 
'How  far  are  you  going?'  I  asked.  'Only  out  to 
General  Smith's,'  replied  the  boy.  The  urchin  sprang 
to  my  side  when  I  nodded  my  head,  and  after  we  had 
started  said:  '  Whose  rig  is  this? ' 

'"Dr.  Shrady's,'  I  replied. 

"  '  Oh,  yes.  That  fellow  from  New  York.  He  lives 
in  ' '  Pine  Ridge ' '  by  the  river.  Do  you  work  for  him  ? ' 

'"Yes.' 

' ' '  How  much  does  he  give  you  ? ' 

'"My  board  and  clothes.' 

'"Is  that  all?  Well,  he  gives  you  pretty  good 
clothes,  but  you  could  get  more  than  that.  Major 
Cornell's  coachman  gets  his  board  and  clothes  and  $30 
a  month  besides.  How  long  have  you  been  working 
for  this  man  Shrady  ? ' 

"  '  Ever  since  I  was  a  boy.' 

"  '  Never  worked  for  anybody  else?' 

"  '  No.* 

"  '  Well,  maybe  that  explains  it.  What  do  you  do 
for  him  ? ' 

"  '  Oh,  anything  he  wants  me  to.  I  wash  him  and 
dress  him  in  the  morning  and  then  I  take  him  down  to 
breakfast  and  feed  him.  During  the  day  I  am  his  man 
of  all  work,  and  when  night  comes  I  undress  him  and 
put  him  to  bed.' 

1 '  '  Great  Scott!     Is  he  as  old  as  that  ? ' 

"  '  Oh,  he  's  about  my  age.' 


38  Up  Through  Childhood 

"  '  Must  be  an  awful  lazy  fellow,  is  n't  he  ?  Do  you 
like  him  ? ' 

"  '  Sometimes  I  do  and  sometimes  I  don't.  Oc- 
casionally I  think  he  's  a  very  good  fellow;  then  again 
I  see  him  do  very  foolish  things.  That  makes  me 
want  to  run  away  and  hire  out  to  some  one  else. ' 

"'  Why  don't  you?' 

11 '  Oh,  it 's  no  use;  I  cannot.     I  have  to  be  satisfied.' 

"'Well,'  indignantly  asserted  the  boy,  'I  think 
you  're  a  fool.  But  here  's  where  I  get  off.  Come 
over  to  Kingston  any  day,  John,  and  you  can  get  a  job 
with  better  wages  than  your  board  and  clothes.' 

' '  Then  I  bade  him  good-bye,  knowing  that  he  was 
mistaken.  Every  one  must  work  for  himself— he  can- 
not run  away, — and  the  best  wages  he  can  get  will  be 
his  board  and  clothes — with  variations. ' ' 

There  is  a  great  need  for  right  ideals  and  a  high 
conception  of  the  duty  and  opportunity  of  the  Ameri- 
can home;  for  right  ideals  of  this  sacred  institution  and 
of  its  wonderful  possibilities  in  the  training  of  children 
to  be  definite,  positive  forces  in  carrying  forward  the 
world's  work.  The  home  is  the  greatest  school  of  all, 
and  all  other  institutions,  social,  educational,  or  re- 
ligious, must  stand  aside  to  allow  the  chief  one  op- 
portunity for  its  perfect  work.  But  the  home  must 
recognise  its  responsibility. 

The  School 
11  The  teacher  is  the  soul  of  the  school."     This  is  a 


The  Institutions  of  Education       39 

true  saying,  and  just  in  proportion  to  the  richness  of 
the  teacher's  life,  the  fineness  of  his  thought,  the  touch 

of  his  aspiration,  and  the  nobleness  of  his 

The 
nature  will   these   excellences  be  found  in       Teacher 

the  character  of  the  child.  Imitation  is  the  the  Soul  of 
child's  great  characteristic,  and  through  the 
agency  of  habit  we  may  by  means  of  ideals  and  intel- 
ligent practice  form  the  child's  character  as  we  will. 
And  yet  the  school  is  more;  it  affords  an  opportunity 
for  practice  in  community  life,  for  putting  into  actual 
service  those  virtues  and  excellences  which  will  form 
such  a  pleasing  characteristic  in  the  adult  when  the 
child  that  we  admire,  love,  and  cherish  comes  to  ma- 
turity. Here  is  found  the  opportunity  for  recognition 
of  the  rights  of  others,  for  the  development  of  that 
larger  selfhood  which  counts  service  one  of  its  highest 
privileges.  Here  lies  the  beginning  of  society,  the  dis- 
position to  adapt  oneself  to  the  needs  and  happiness  of 
his  fellows,  a  disposition  to  avoid  some  of  the  narrow 
and  petty  and  backward  steps  in  human  association. 
But  the  school  has  its  limitation.  It  is  very  artificial. 
Demands  there  made  are  less  vigorous,  less  forceful, 
and  sometimes  less  wholesome  than  those  found  in 
actual  life.  The  school  world  is  often  so  unlike  the  real 
world  that  it  leaves  a  false  impression  of  man's  aim  in 
life,  and  sometimes  it  gives  a  wrong  ideal. 

I  have  known  hundreds  of  teachers,  many  of  these  in 
their  school  life,  and  not  a  few  in  their  private  and 
home  life,  and  do  not  hesitate  to  affirm  that,  all  told, 


40  Up  Through  Childhood 

there  is  not  to  be  found  in  any  other  calling  a  larger 
number  of  patient,  conscientious,  self-denying  men  and 
Character  women  wno  are  giving  to  their  calling  not 
of  only  time  and  thought,  but  the  richest  love 

Teachers.  of  hearts  that  often  go  alone  because  of 
these  changing  ties. 

But  the  school  is  a  burden  bearer!  Whether  it  be 
lack  of  manners,  lack  of  intelligence,  lack  of  religion, 
or  lack  of  sterling  honesty,  we  are  too  often  disposed  to 
charge  it  all  upon  the  school. 

Society 

Society  is  a  growth,  and  the  form  depends  upon  the 
The  One  social  ideal  which  prevails.  The  independ- 
End  and  ent  spirit  of  democracy  among  us  has  been 
the  Many.  a(jverse  to  the  highest  development  of  the 
social  ideal. 

Every  man  has  acted  for  himself.  Business  and 
Society  have  glorified  competition,  but  it  has  been  at 
fearful  cost.  The  more  thoughtful  men  in  business 
have  seen  the  economy  of  combination;  the  more  kindly 
women  in  society  have  seen  the  goodness  of  helping 
others,  and  found  to  their  joy  that  acting  thus  they  rose 
the  faster.  The  ends  are  not  opposed.  The  highest 
development  of  every  one  is  for  the  common  good  of 
all.  There  are  signs  of  a  truer  recognition  of  the  work 
which  society  may  do  for  its  members.  And  recog- 
nised or  not,  its  influence  is  positively  all-powerful. 


The  Institutions  of  Education       41 

As  time  goes  on,  we  may  hope  to  discover  better  meth- 
ods of  organisation  and  less  expensive  means  of  reach- 
ing the  high  end  of  mental  and  spiritual  culture  for  the 
individual,  and  so  for  all. 

Society  is  a  real  educator,  and  this  work  is  wrought 
not  alone  nor  chiefly  by  the  definite  lessons  which  it 
sets  out  to  inculcate,  but  by  the  atmosphere 
with  which  it  surrounds  the  growing  child.  stamp3 
His  ideals  of  life,  his  purposes,  his  methods 
of  accomplishing  these  purposes,  all  are  modified  by 
the  powerful  influence  of  the  social  instinct  and  social 
requirements  which  impress  themselves  upon  the  Self 
day  by  day.  I  am  continually  impressed  with  the 
thought  of  that  paramount  influence  which  we  call  en- 
vironment. It  comes  like  a  rolling  sea  upon  the  shore, 
returning  again  and  again  to  impinge  upon  individu- 
ality. If  the  Self  be  strong,  the  struggle  will  call  out 
the  best,  and  there  will  be  a  growth  to  be  approved;  if 
the  Self  be  weak,  these  external  forces  will  subdue  it 
and  render  all  its  accomplishments  cheap  and  common- 
place. Not  alone  the  social  and  spiritual  demands  of 
society,  but  the  economic  demands  play  a  large  part  in 
the  development  of  character. 

One's  occupation  should  be  a  strong  factor  in  the  de- 
velopment of  the  soul  life.     There  are  two  reasons 

for  following  any  particular  work,  a  good 

The  Occu- 
reason  and  the  real  one.     Too  often  the  real         pati0n 

reason  is  an  economic  one,  which  calls  upon 

the  man  to  perform  services  of  a  kind  that  break  the 


42  Up  Through  Childhood 

highest  law  of  his  being.  Money  he  must  have.  He 
cannot  escape,  and  he  ought  not  to  escape  those  de- 
mands by  which  he  is  to  render  service,  to  create  value, 
in  return  for  what  he  receives  from  the  world.  But  it 
is  little  to  be  desired  that  a  man  should  coin  his  heart's 
blood,  his  noblest  aspirations,  for  the  cheap  things  by 
which  to  live.  If  our  economic  life  were  on  the  right 
basis,  nearly  one-half  of  our  waking  hours  each  day 
would  be  spent  in  physical  exercise.  Not  perhaps  in 
exclusive  physical  labour,  but  in  labour  so  far  physi- 
cal that  we  should  find  health  for  the  body  and  rest  for 
the  mind.  The  value  of  both  mental  and  physical  ex- 
ercise in  turning  one's  life  in  a  way  to  provide  for  the 
health  of  the  whole  being  cannot  be  underrated,  and  if 
the  occupation  does  not  afford  sufficient  scope  for  the 
exercise  of  both  parts  of  the  nature,  then  there  must  be 
enough  leisure  to  make  it  possible  to  supply  that  need 
outside  of  the  required  field  of  labour. 

Our  plan  of  education  ought  to  provide  for  steady 
practice  in  promptness  and  accuracy.  We  are  coming 
The  more  and  more  to  recognise  the  great  value  of 

Motor  the  motor  side  of  our  lives;  to  have  a  keener 
Side*  recognition  of  the  place  of  action;  action 

subject  to  will,  and  action  with  the  aid  of  the  intellect 
•  in  the  daily  development  of  character.  It  is  now  recog- 
nised that  no  thought  is  complete  until  it  has  been  ex- 
pressed in  action.  We  have  not  only  the  eye-minded 
child  and  the  ear-minded  child,  but  the  motor-minded 
child,  who  must  express  the  ideas  and  impulses  of  his 


The  Institutions  of  Education       43 

inner  life  in  some  form  of  deed.  For  the  eye- minded 
and  the  ear-minded  people,  the  school  forms  of  expres- 
sion are  often  sufficient;  but  for  the  motor-minded  per- 
son, some  kind  of  action  is  absolutely  necessary  for  the 
best  expression  of  himself  and  the  greatest  development 
of  his  powers.  There  are  many  people  whose  whole 
nature  cries  out  to  do  rather  than  to  be  or  to  say. 
They  are  those  who  are  born  to  pay  in  doing;  and  we 
can  no  longer  rob  them  of  their  heritage.  Besides,  the 
world  needs  doers  as  well  as  thinkers;  and  it  is  the 
problem  of  the  teacher  to  provide,  for  children  of  this 
kind,  abundant  opportunity  for  activity.  It  must,  too, 
be  that  kind  of  activity  which  has  in  itself  large  worth. 
No  child  wants  to  spend  his  time  and  thought  on  doing 
work  that  is  of  no  value.  "  Do  the  things  that  are 
worth  while,"  should  be  a  motto  for  early  childhood 
and  for  later  life.  It  will  beget  a  seriousness  of  mind 
and  an  earnestness  of  action  that  will  lead  directly  to- 
ward the  accomplishment  of  worthy  results.  No  man 
of  the  right  spirit  is  willing  to  wheel  an  empty  wheel- 
barrow day  after  day  simply  for  wages;  and  any  teacher 
who  keeps  his  students,  young  or  old,  merely  marking 
time  is  guilty  of  a  great  moral  wrong.  He  is  doing  his 
part  to  vitiate  the  right  values,  and  to  establish  the 
habit  of  industriously  doing  nothing,  which  is  one  of 
the  greatest  curses  of  our  time. 

The  employer  in  all  the  higher  walks  of  life  expects 
and  demands  of  his  employee  prompt  and  hearty  serv- 
ice, but  he  cares  quite  as  much  for  the  spirit  in  which 


44  Up  Through  Childhood 

it  is  rendered  as  he  does  for  the  absolute  service  itself. 
We  have  hardly  got  down  to  the  true  foundation  of 
The  work.  It  has  long  been  regarded  as  a  thing 

Spirit  of  to  be  avoided,  if  possible;  but,  in  truth, 
Service.  work  js  a  necessary  condition  of  health  and 
life.  It  provides  for  the  development  of  body,  mind, 
and  soul.  Industrial  conditions  are  in  many  places  so 
hard  that  it  requires  all  of  one's  effort  simply  to  earn  a 
living.  That  has  led  to  a  wrong  view  of  the  scope  and 
purpose  of  labour.  The  man  who  works  is  the  man  who 
creates,  and  in  his  work  he  should  find  that  condition 
which  will  develop  his  soul,  insure  him  health,  and 
give  him  the  sense  of  being  a  real  contributor  to  the 
progress  of  his  kind.  The  idea  has  come  down  to  us 
that  the  garden  of  Eden  was  a  paradise  because  man 
did  not  have  to  work;  but  the  reading  is,  "  And  the 
I,ord  God  took  the  man,  and  put  him  into  the  garden 
of  Eden  to  dress  it  and  to  keep  it. ' '  He  was  there  to 
take  joy  in  the  beauty  of  the  garden  and  in  the  fruits 
of  his  labour.  The  world  still  has  much  of  the  drudg- 
ery; but  there  is  a  large  field  for  a  wholesome  and  in- 
spiring activity,  for  a  kind  of  work  which  makes  for 
the  joy  of  life,  a  work  in  which  the  products  shall  be 
worth  the  effort,  a  work  which  one  does  with  the  free 
purpose  of  his  soul  in  order  that  he  may  express  him- 
self by  reaction  on  material  things.  It  finds  expression 
in  the  joy  of  the  gardener  in  the  beauty  of  the  rose,  in 
the  pride  of  the  orchardist  in  his  luscious  fruits,  in  the 
thrill  of  the  musician  in  the  divine  harmony  which  he 


The  Institutions  of  Education       45 

has  created,  in  the  joy  of  the  artist  in  the  beauty  which 
rises  in  the  path  of  his  brush;  it  is  the  joy  of  work  and 
the  beauty  of  creation  which  give  charm  to  service. 
The  spirit  of  the  artist  in  the  toiler  consecrates  the 
work  to  highest  uses. 

With  the  large  place  of  machinery  in  modern  life, 
man  has  been  released  from  much  of  the  drudgery,  and 
may  be  more  and  more  a  working  force  in  spiritual  do- 
mains. All  the  surroundings  have  need  to  be  such  as 
will  secure  his  greatest  efficiency  as  a  spiritual  worker. 
Not  least  among  these  is  the  spirit  of  hearty  service 
that  reaches  toward  better  things;  the  true  religious 
spirit  indeed  permeates  the  whole  field  of  service  and 
makes  one  strong  beyond  the  strength  of  bone  and 
muscle.  It  is  the  heroic  spirit  that  prevails. 

There  is  a  large  service  which  society  may  render 
the  individual  in  the  opportunity  for  the  development 
of  feeling.  Feeling  constitutes  one  of  the  Develop- 
great  forces  in  the  individual  life,  and  makes  ment  of 
its  subject  valuable  just  in  proportion  as  it  Feeling, 
is  directed  by  judgment  and  will.  The  heart  is  a 
mighty  factor  in  all  executive  lines,  and  gives  vigour, 
grace,  and  effectiveness  to  whatever  is  worth  doing  in 
any  sphere  outside  of  the  daily  material  demands. 

Government 

The  primary  purpose  of  government  is  to  administer 
justice;  whatever  other  office  it  may  assume,  there 


46  Up  Through  Childhood 

must  be  a  serious  and  well  directed  attempt  to  admin- 
ister justice.     For  the  growth  of  the  individual  and 

of  the  nation  there  is  no  function  more  im- 
Purpose  portant  than  this.  The  government  should 

afford  protection  to  the  citizen,  and  a  sense  of 
security,  without  which  the  highest  development  of  the 
individual  life  is  impossible.  It  is  the  office  of  govern- 
ment to  promote  the  common  welfare,  to  provide  for  the 
highest  general  and  individual  good,  to  make  possible 
to  individuals  in  a  community  those  things  which  can- 
not be  enjoyed  by  one  when  acting  alone;  all  these 
contribute  to  the  greater  growth  of  the  Self.  Every 
community  has  something  more  or  less  well  defined, 
which  people  call  public  spirit,  and  just  in  proportion 
as  that  manifests  itself,  and  receives  recognition  in  in- 
dividual life,  will  the  child  fill  his  place  in  the  social 
order. 

In  our  country  the  act  of  governing  educates,  be- 
cause it  keeps  before  the  mind  of  the  student  the  great 
questions  of  human  rights,  and  brings  into  frequent 
and  recognised  contrast  those  interests  which  are  the 
concern  of  all,  and  those  other  interests  which  are  the 
concern  of  the  few.  In  the  great  tide  of  national  life, 
we  are  likely  to  forget  that  no  man  is  really  a  patriot 
unless  true  to  his  own  community,  and  that  the  high- 
est service  he  can  render  to  the  State  is  to  be  a  good 
citizen  in  his  own  neighbourhood.  Again  and  again 
the  election  of  the  right  councilman  or  school  trustee  is 
of  greater  importance  to  the  community  than  is  the 


The  Institutions  of  Education       47 

election  of  the  President  of  the  United  States.  Not 
that  the  one  should  receive  less  attention  than  now, 
but  that  the  other  should  receive  more. 

The  Church 

All  through  the  ages,  the  Church  has  been  one  of 
the  great  conservative  forces.  The  pages  of  history 
and  the  experiences  of  men  have  laid  away  A  Qon_ 
the  lessons  of  the  greatest  value;  but  any  servative 
close  examination  of  the  history  of  the  Force. 
Church  will  show  that  it  has  been  one  of  the  most  fruit- 
ful fields  of  ignorance,  tyranny,  and  oppression.  To- 
day the  modern  Church  is  divided  into  scores  of  sects, 
each  striving  to  surpass  or  overthrow  its  rivals.  In 
many  cases  religious  truth  is  so  diluted  that  there  is 
but  a  small  part  of  it  in  the  local  organisation.  We 
have  good  need  to  go  again  to  the  sources  of  our 
Christian  faith,  and  ask  of  the  Master  himself  the  les- 
sons he  would  teach  to  the  children  of  men.  In  our  in- 
dustrial and  commercial  life  we  have  not  begun  to  apply 
the  principles  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount.  Not  only 
this,  but  the  Church  has  assumed  that  these  cannot  be 
applied,  and  demands  that  its  ministers  so  preach  to 
the  people  as  to  keep  them  in  good  conscience  by  urg- 
ing them  to  observe  but  the  petty  requirements  of  law, 
while  allowing  them  to  neglect  the  great  principles 
which  Jesus  came  to  do  and  to  teach.  See  how  far  we 
have  gone  from  the  Master's  teaching! 


48  Up  Through  Childhood 

Christ  said:  "  Blessed  are  the  poor  in  spirit,  for  theirs 
is  the  kingdom  of  heaven."  But  we  say:  "  Blessed  is 
the  man  that  carries  his  head  high,  and  assumes  virtues 
and  worth  which  he  does  not  have.  If  you  do  not 
speak  well  of  yourself,  who  will  speak  well  of  you  ?  ' ' 

Christ  said:  "  Blessed  are  the  meek,  for  they  shall 
inherit  the  earth."  But  we  say:  "  Blessed  is  the  man 
who  sounds  his  own  trumpet  before  him;  it  is  the  man 
who  advertises  himself  that  wins.  The  humble  are 
tramped  upon." 

Christ  said:  "  Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart,  for  they 
shall  see  God. "  But  we  say :  * '  The  man  who  tells  a  low 
story  is  a  jolly  fellow,"  and  if  he  steps  aside  from  the 
path  of  purity,  "A  man  ought  to  have  a  little  liberty." 
However  base  his  conduct,  we  forthwith  restore  him 
to  good  society,  our  best  homes  welcome  him  with  a 
smile  of  approval,  or  at  most  a  sigh  of  weak  excuse. 

Christ  said:  "  Blessed  are  the  peacemakers,  for  they 
shall  be  called  the  sons  of  God. "  But  we  say :  ' '  Blessed 
is  the  man  with  the  chip  on  his  shoulder,  for  he  rides 
by  unmolested.  He  shall  rush  into  wars  near  and  far, 
and  at  the  end  his  nation  will  give  him  a  triumph." 

Christ  said,  "  Ye  are  the  salt  of  the  earth,"  but  with 
it  he  couples  the  statement,  that  when  the  salt  has  lost 
its  savour  "  it  is  thenceforth  good  for  nothing  but  to 
be  cast  out  and  to  be  trodden  under  foot  of  men. ' ' 

Christ  said,  "  Ye  are  the  light  of  the  world,"  but  the 
light  has  been  put  under  a  bushel  and  those  who  should 
walk  by  it  are  now  groping  in  the  deep  darkness. 


The  Institutions  of  Education       49 

It  was  also  he  who  said:  "Except  your  righteous- 
ness shall  exceed  the  righteousness  of  the  scribes  and 
Pharisees,  ye  shall  in  no  wise  enter  into  the  kingdom 
of  heaven." 

The  prayer  and  conference  meetings  have  a  value  not 
to  be  underrated,  and  contribute  in  their  own  way  to  the 
quickening  and  development  of  individual  The 

life.  But  unfortunately  they  are  counted  Spiritual 
the  spiritual  thermometer  of  the  Church.  m0meter 
It  is  greatly  to  be  lamented  that  there  is  no  Idea. 

dynamometer  to  test  the  motor  forces.  It  is  assumed 
indeed  that  all  who  like  to  work  like  also  to  pray  in 
public;  nothing  can  be  more  untrue.  There  are  at  least 
three  distinct  types  of  temperament,  and  not  more  than 
one  of  these  finds  its  highest  gratification  in  the  public 
church  life. 

From  the  time  of  the  Middle  Ages  until  the  present, 
the  emphasis  has  been  laid  upon  the  meditative  side  of 
Christianity.     The  ideals  here  established,   Like  Pew 
and  the  requirements  here  imposed  have  ap-  Like 

pealed  most  strongly  to  the  emotional  type  Preacher- 
of  character.  In  the  missionary  field  there  has  often 
been  an  abundance  of  love  for  action,  but  the  general 
belief  that  there  should  be  a  radical  separation  between 
sacred  and  secular  things  has  closed  this  line  of  activity 
for  the  local  churches;  and,  as  a  result,  those  tempera- 
ments which  express  themselves  chiefly  through  action 
have  not  found  in  the  Church  that  which  their  nature 
demands.  This  impulse  toward  action  is  stronger  in 


50  Up  Through  Childhood 

men  than  in  women;  consequently  women  have  found 
in  the  Church  place  for  the  satisfaction  of  some  of  the 
deepest  demands  of  their  natures;  while  in  many  cases 
men  have  not  found  such  a  field,  but  have  absolutely 
been  restrained  from  the  manifestation  of  those  elements 
which  make  for  vigorous  and  active  righteousness. 
As  a  result,  men  have  become  a  minor  factor  in  the 
churches.  Since  women  have  constituted  a  majority 
of  the  congregation,  it  is  perfectly  natural  that  those 
elements  which  women  most  approve  and  admire  should 
be  emphasised  in  the  pulpit.  Woman's  greatest  service 
to  society  and  in  the  scope  of  human  life  is  to  praise 
aright,  and  her  praise  has  determined  to  a  great  degree 
the  character  of  the  teaching  which  should  be  given  in 
the  pulpit  and  in  the  conference  meeting.  Accordingly, 
religion  has  taken  on  much  of  gentleness  and  charity, 
and  forgotten  the  virile  elements  of  strength  and  truth. 
There  is  no  real  reason  why  the  highest  and  finest  type 
of  Christian  character  may  not  at  the  same  time  be 
marked  by  great  vigour;  but  from  the  time  of  the 
Revolution  until  the  most  recent  years,  the  Church  has 
occupied  less  than  its  rightful  place  in  the  social  and 
political  life  of  the  community.  Before  the  Revolution, 
the  Church,  and  particularly  the  minister,  was  the 
most  important  element  in  colonial  life;  but  the  tradi- 
tions of  the  Church  reached  back  to  England.  Many 
ministers  had  been  educated  there,  and  not  only  the 
traditions  but  their  love  reached  back  to  the  mother 
country.  Then  came  the  separation,  and  in  the  long 


The  Institutions  of  Education       51 

struggle  for  American  independence  many  a  minister 
found  himself  on  what  afterward  proved  to  be  the 
wrong  side  of  the  conflict.  Not  a  few  of  the  Revolu- 
tionary fathers  were  lawyers  and  men  engaged  in  walks 
of  life  other  than  the  ministry.  The  ministers  had 
failed,  and  the  sceptre  fell  from  their  hands  to  be  taken 
up  by  the  lawyers,  who  have  held  it  ever  since.  Public 
activity  and  the  dominant  social  interests  found  their 
centre  elsewhere  than  in  the  churches.  From  that  time 
on  minor  forces  and  inferior  agencies  have  determined 
what  should  be  thought  and  done  inside  the  Church 
and  out.  For  illustration  on  the  side  of  the  Church, 
take  the  young  people's  movement.  When  it  came, 
the  time  was  ripe,  and  it  spread  over  the  whole  country; 
but  in  a  short  time  the  meetings  had  withdrawn  from 
the  regular  life  of  the  Church  the  vigour  of  youth 
which  is  so  much  needed  there;  and  in  not  a  few  cases 
the  young  people's  meeting  was  invaded  by  older  peo- 
ple, who  insisted  upon  a  stereotyped  Christianity  with 
the  full  adult  and  feminine  interpretation  of  its  life, 
which  would  allow  comfortable  quarters  only  for  those 
who  were  endowed  with  the  emotional  temperament. 

No  sane  man  will  deny  that  the  Church  is  one  of  the 
truest  and  best  agencies  for  righteousness  among  us, 
nor  can  he  shut  his  eyes  to  the  fact  that  it  The 

is  not  meeting  the  needs  of  the  time.     The         Church 

does  not 
people  have  gone  away  from  it;  it  must  re-      Meet  the 

organise  in  its  real  purpose  and  methods.  Needs. 
Thousands  of  the  children  of  the  Church  grow  up  and 


52  Up  Through  Childhood 

fall  away  without  being  pledged  to  righteousness,  and 
often  without  thought  of  making  that  the  supreme  con- 
cern of  their  lives.  There  is  no  better  test  than  that 
proposed  of  old  by  the  Master,  "By  their  fruits  ye  shall 
know  them/'  The  moment  we  think  of  the  work  of 
the  Church  there  rings  in  our  ears,  "These  ought  ye 
to  have  done,  and  not  to  leave  the  other  undone." 

There  never  was  a  time  when  the  test  of  actual  serv- 
ice, the  value  in  use,  was  applied  so  pitilessly  as  now 
to  all  human  institutions.  The  Church  has  made  a 
long  and  losing  warfare  against  science,  she  has  stood 
with  the  conservative  and  non-progressive  forces  in 
education,  she  even  long  defended  some  of  the  crying 
evils  in  the  social  life  of  the  times,  including  slavery 
and  the  rum  traffic;  but  this  is  the  hour  of  her  leader- 
ship if  she  will  gather  the  forces  and  lead  to  victory. 
On  every  side  there  is  seen  a  new  interest  in  social 
needs  and  social  institutions.  There  is  a  disposition  to 
lay  aside  the  blind  observance  of  ecclesiastical  forms, 
if  by  any  means  life  may  be  brought  to  the  people. 
The  slow,  decrepit  hand  of  the  ages  seems  to  be 
weakening  its  grasp  on  her,  and  there  is  large  hope  of 
a  new,  strong,  and  wholesome  movement  which  shall 
redeem  the  people,  which  shall  sanctity  human  life 
and  exalt  human  character. 

Horace  Mann  said,  "  Let  the  next  generation,  then, 
be  my  client." 

The  Church  is  already  alert  on  this  line,  and  may 
find  in  the  Sunday-school  one  of  the  most  helpful  and 


The  Institutions  of  Education       53 

effective  agencies  to  usher  in  the  kingdom  of  God;  but 
it  is  not  the  Sunday-school  of  the  past,  nor  even  of  the 
present.  The  Sunday-school  must  be  planned  to  meet 
the  great  needs  of  the  time;  the  need  for  the  old  type 
of  school  has  passed  away,  and  with  it  that  type  of 
school  must  go. 


CHAPTER  IV 
THE  INSTITUTIONS  OF  EDUCATION—  Continued 

IN  these  days  when  everything  is  brought  to  the  test 
of  results,  when  people  seek  to  determine  by  experience 

the  profit  in  any  course  of  action,  it  is  nat- 
Tne  Test. 

ural  that  the  Sunday-school  should  be  called 

in  question.  I  am  not  insensible  to  the  great  work  that 
it  has  done,  nor  to  the  fact  that  it  has  called  thousands 
from  darkness  to  light,  and  given  impetus  to  the  re- 
ligious life  of  many  a  growing  Christian;  but  just  as 
we  examine  the  day-school  with  keenest  scrutiny  to 
determine  the  educational  waste,  and  just  as  we  cens- 
ure everything  which  yields  small  returns  from  large 
investments,  so  must  we  look  upon  the  Sunday-school 
and  bring  it  to  the  test. 

The  first  great  charge  to  be  made  against  the  Sun- 
day-school is  that  of  wrong  aim.     The  Sunday-school 

has  been  in  fact,  if  not  in  theory,  held  to  be 
Wrong 

Conception  a  place  for  social  gathering,  for  a  kind  of 
of  the  moral  preaching  to  children,  with  a  vague 

hope  that  although  the  teaching  was  done  in 
a  haphazard  way  the  results  must  necessarily  be  good 
because  the  intention  was  good.  It  is  often  held  that 

54 


The  Institutions  of  Education       55 

attendance  at  Sunday-school  is  necessarily  a  virtue. 
That  is  very  far  from  the  truth.  In  many  cases  the 
child  would  be  better  off  not  to  enter  the  atmosphere 
which  in  not  a  few  schools  is  characterised  by  a  degree 
of  irreverence  and  weak  sentimentality  subversive  of  all 
true  character.  The  great  aim  should  be  the  develop- 
ment of  sturdy,  right-thinking  manhood  and  woman- 
hood, and  whoever  falls  short  of  this  or  fails  to  minister 
to  this  end  is  blind  to  the  very  purpose  and  life  of  the 
institution. 

There  can  be  no  sure  hope  of  success  until  we  set 
before  ourselves  a  definite  aim  and  seek  to  accomplish 
that  in  a  common-sense  way.  It  is  necessary 
to  analyse  pretty  closely  those  things  which  Definite- 
are  present  in  a  forceful,  noble  character.  ness  of 
Having  considered  this,  we  find  ourselves 
in  readiness  to  do  something  to  accomplish  this  work. 
Further,  we  must  take  into  consideration  the  character 
of  the  child  as  he  is;  and  in  the  Sunday-school  we  must 
take  into  consideration  the  natures  and  tendencies  of 
the  children,  or  at  least  of  the  leaders  of  opinion  in  the 
Sunday-school. 

We  must  never  lose  sight  of  the  fact  that  the  most 
important  in  all  work  which  has  character-making  for 
its  end  is  not  the  curriculum,  but  the  per- 
sonal element:  that  is,  the  direct  inspiring  ^De[ec*s  m 

Curriculum, 
influence  of  the  living  teacher.     There  is 

no  way  of  making  a  truth  prevail  equal  to  that  of 
incorporating  it  in  an  interesting  personality. 


56  Up  Through  Childhood 

There  are  two  serious  charges  to  be  made  against  the 
school  from  the  standpoint  of  curriculum. 

The  first  charge  is  this:  Many  things  are  offered 
which  are  not  closely  related  to  the  life  of  the  child. 
This  results  in  two  evils:  i.  The  child  does  not  learn. 
2.  He  forms  the  habit  of  receiving  good  things  without 
any  thought  that  they  are  to  be  practised  in  daily  life. 
Our  test  has  never  been,  ' 'Does  this  information  suit  the 
needs  of  the  growing  child?"  but,  "Is  this  in  har- 
mony with  the  practice  of  our  branch  of  the  Christian 
Church  ?  "  "  Will  this  meet  the  approval  of  the  min- 
istry ?  "  "  Is  there  a  sufficient  amount  of  Christianity 
in  these  things  which  we  are  teaching  ? ' ' 

The  second  serious  defect  in  the  curriculum  is  the 
lack  of  a  definite  plan  for  practice  in  righteousness. 
"  Not  he  that  repeateth  the  name,  but  he  that  doeth 
the  will."  The  whole  nature  of  the  child  cries  for  ac- 
tion. What  do  we  offer  ?  Missionary  meetings,  prayer 
meetings,  Bible  verses — things  good  in  themselves,  but 
with  words  altogether  out  of  proportion  to  deeds! 

We  must  meet  this  need  for  action  in  the  Sunday- 
school,  or  lose  the  boys;  the  most  of  us  prefer  to  lose 
the  boys.  It  would  not  be  proper,  it  would 

9ur  not  comport  with  tradition,  to  have  the  child 

Choice. 

do  the  dozen  and  one  things  for  which  his 

nature  is  crying  out;  in  short,  we  decree  that  if  he  can- 
not take  our  Sunday-school  in  our  fashion  with  our 
interpretation  of  what  is  good  for  him,  we  stand  to  the 
idea  that  he  may  go  to  destruction,  the  faster  the  better, 


The  Institutions  of  Education       57 

—and  then  we  charge  the  whole  thing  up  to  his  natural 
depravity,  or  original  sin,  or  some  other  of  the  theo- 
logical scapegoats,  which  are  really  only  poor  excuses 
for  our  blindness  or  our  stubbornness.  In  the  theo- 
logical seminaries  and  among  Sunday-school  teachers 
the  great  emphasis  is  put  upon  the  study  of  the  Bible, 
instead  of  upon  the  study  of  the  child.  Religion  did 
not  come  out  of  the  Bible,  the  Bible  came  out  of  re- 
ligion; it  is  God's  message  to  the  soul  of  man. 

With  very  many  teachers  and  superintendents  the 
ideals  are  low.  Many  a  superintendent  holds  his  posi- 
tion because  he  is  the  man  of  influence  in  Lack  of 

the  community,  or  because  he  is  able  to  con-  Right 

Officers 
tribute  a  large  sum  of  money  to  some  church  and 

benevolence,  and  not  because  he  is  well  quali-  Teachers, 
fied  to  deal  with  children  and  to  preside  over  the  intel- 
lectual and  spiritual  processes  of  unfolding  minds. 
Many  a  teacher  does  his  work  only  because  he  gains  a 
certain  standing  in  the  community,  and  he  likes  to 
comfort  himself  in  the  thought  that  he  is  doing  some 
good  on  Sunday  to  make  up  for  the  lack  of  vigorous 
adherence  to  high  ideals  through  the  week.  The 
methods  pursued  in  the  Sunday-school  are  usually  so 
far  below  those  practised  in  the  day-school  that  the 
children  must  have  far  less  respect  for  the  work  there 
undertaken  than  for  the  work  accomplished  in  the  day- 
school. 

It  is  often  urged  that  good  officers  and  teachers  are 
not  to  be  had;  that  the  strong  man  and  woman  of  the 


58  Up  Through  Childhood 

community  will  not  give  time  to  Sunday  -school  work. 

This  is  only  in  part  true.     When  the  Sunday-school 

seeks  to  do  something  worth  while,  strong 

CjrOOQ 

Officers        men  and  women  will  help,  gladly  and  will- 


may  be  ingly.  Let  the  Sunday-school  undertake 
work  worthy  of  the  best  people  in  the  com- 
munity, and  these  it  may  have.  There  are  two  things 
that  must  be  set  very  definitely  before  Sunday-school 
officers  and  teachers.  First,  the  teacher  must  secure 
tangible  results;  and,  second,  he  must  secure  these  in  a 
satisfactory  manner.  The  Sunday-school  ought  to  be 
the  Church  at  work  for  character  in  young  and  old. 
It  is  not  a  parade  ground,  but  a  field  for  the  keenest 
and  most  thoughtful  insight,  a  place  for  a  deep  inter- 
pretation of  the  great  needs  of  child  life,  with  all  pos- 
sible efforts  of  the  religious  organisation  marshalled  to 
meet  these  needs.  We  have  been  so  long  accustomed 
to  have  things  stand  just  as  they  are,  and  to  accept 
the  dictum  that  '  '  Anything  which  is  done  with  a  good 
motive  is  good,"  that  it  seems  harsh  to  say  that  many 
of  the  best  men  and  women  in  the  Church  are  wearing 
themselves  out  in  doing  things  for  which  they  are  ill- 
prepared,  and  some  of  them  in  attempting  things 
which  they  could  not  do  if  they  should  live  a  thou- 
sand years.  Our  church,  our  Sunday-school,  our 
young  people's  society,  is  organised  chiefly  to  train  the 
emotional  type  of  human  temperament,  and  not  to 
meet  the  many  sides  of  human  character. 
Just  at  the  age  when  the  child  is  all  alert  for  action, 


The  Institutions  of  Education       59 

when  he  demands  a  field  for  the  development  of  his  en- 
ergies, and  when,  above  all,  he  needs  direc-  »r  p 
tion,  when  his  nature  is  open,  hungering  vision  for 
and  thirsting  for  the  spiritual  life,  we  insist  Action, 
upon  a  life  of  quietness,  of  steadiness,  of  propriety,  a 
life  of  conformity,  of  stagnation,  of  death. 

It  is  a  fatal  fault  to  multiply  societies  and  organisa- 
tions in  the  school,  instead  of  allowing  opportunity  for 
more  practical  growth  in  right  lines  in  fewer  A  Child's 
societies.  Let  the  general  organisation  be  Religion 
wide  in  its  outlook,  and  practical  in  its  Man's 
methods.  It  must  be  suited  to  the  child's  Religion, 
needs.  There  is  a  wide  difference  between  a  child's 
religion  and  a  man's  religion;  and  if  we  are  to  believe 
that  God  has  made  the  world  right,  it  is  probable  that 
a  child  in  his  religion  comes  as  near  to  pleasing  the 
Father  as  does  a  man  in  his  religion.  A  child  neces- 
sarily does  everything  with  a  certain  lack  of  finish. 
His  religion  is  a  part  of  his  life.  He  has  not  lived  long 
enough  in  the  world  to  adjust  himself  wisely  and  care- 
fully, and,  as  a  result,  is  guilty  of  many  rather  serious 
faults,  from  the  standpoint  of  his  elders.  It  is  abso- 
lutely wrong  to  hold  children  to  the  same  standards  as 
adults.  They  should,  for  persons  of  their  age,  reach 
just  as  high  standards  as  adults  should  reach;  but  the 
same  standards  should  not  be  set.  The  child  is  full  of 
spirit,  energy,  enterprise,  and  life.  If  we  can  get  good 
deeds,  noble  impulses,  and  generous  action  from  the 
child,  we  are  going  far  toward  the  attainment  of  the 


60  Up  Through  Childhood 

ideal  religion  for  him.  The  child  must  not  be  less  noble 
than  his  age  will  warrant,  but  we  must  not  force  upon 
him  the  peculiarities  and  staid  manners  of  adults.  The 
greatest  calamity  that  can  befall  a  natural,  healthy, 
growing  child  is  to  have  his  religious  life  forced,  to 
insist  upon  picking  open  the  delicate  buds  of  character 
before  they  are  sufficiently  mature  to  blossom  out  into 
noble  and  beautiful  words  or  deeds.  The  child  is  not 
in  the  introspective  age.  One  must  go  far  to  find  a 
wiser  statement  of  the  situation  than  these  helpful 
words  from  President  King: 

.  the  kind  of  expression  specially  called 
for  in  religious  education  is  active  service  for  others. 
Any  really  useful  work  has  here  its  religious  value. 
To  avoid  pride  and  priggishness  and  introspection, 
especially  in  the  case  of  younger  children,  it  is  probably 
distinctly  better  that  this  attempted  service  for  others 
should  not  be  in  lines  that  could  be  thought  to  be 
peculiarly  religious  in  the  narrower  sense.  The  simplest 
self-forgetful  work  for  some  practical  cause — the  cup 
of  cold  water  in  the  name  of  a  disciple — will  meet  the 
case.  .  .  .  Getting  children  thus  to  take  an  inter- 
est, for  example,  in  the  protection  of  animals,  in  the 
protection  of  the  defenceless,  in  the  cleanliness  and 
beautifying  of  the  town,  in  the  cultivation  and  giving 
of  flowers,  is  not  without  its  value." 

lyife  and  character  have  their  practical  side;  and 
whoever  undertakes  to  work  in  religious  things  with- 
out attending  to  practical  conditions  will  fail  to  do  his 


The  Institutions  of  Education       61 

definite  work.  I  know  that  we  have  hard  conditions 
to  meet,  I  know  that  the  world  is  thoroughly  wedded 
to  the  idea  of  religious  institutions  on  the  The 

old  lines;  but  there  is  a  growing  company  Better 
of  earnest  men  and  women  who  have  laid  Way. 

aside  preconceived  notions,  and  who  come  day  by  day 
with  open  hearts  to  learn  their  lessons  from  the  child 
and  from  the  Master  who  said  of  the  children,  "  Of 
such  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven."  And  as  these  people 
wait  in  the  presence  of  the  Divine,  there  come  to  them 
a  clearer  vision  and  a  finer  insight,  and  they  are  willing 
to  let  go  all  pretensions  and  show,  if  they  may  have 
the  reality.  They  are  first  sincere  with  themselves, 
and  then  they  find  it  easy  and  joyously  successful  to  be 
sincere  with  the  children  that  they  try  to  teach.  We 
must  awake  on  this  subject  of  religious  teaching,  and 
we  must  recognise  that  the  greatest  field  of  Christian 
work  is  with  the  young. 

I  do  not  object  to  efforts  for  saving  men  and  women 
who  have  gone  astray  —  I  rejoice  heartily  when  the 

drunkard  is  reclaimed  from  his  cup,  or  the 

The  Time 
immoral  one  from  his  evil  life,  —  but  the  same     to 


energy  that  is  spent  to  reclaim  these  would 
save  a  score  of  children  from  the  need  of  such  reclama- 
tion. For  work  in  character,  and  to  establish  the 
kingdom  of  God,  youth  is  the  chosen  time.  "  Where 
anything  is  growing,  formation  is  a  thousand  times 
more  valuable  than  reformation."  It  is  now  generally 
recognised  that  whatever  is  put  into  the  mind  of  the 


62  Up  Through  Childhood 

youth  of  this  generation  will  appear  in  the  adults  of  the 
next.  Accordingly,  every  genuine  or  pretended  re- 
former seeks  to  put  his  special  ideas  into  action  in  the 
school.  ' '  The  mind  of  the  child  is  wax  to  receive,  and 
marble  to  retain."  In  recent  years  we  are  coming  to 
understand  that  adolescence  has  not  only  its  peculiar 
temptations  and  dangers,  but  its  marvellous  oppor- 
tunities. It  is  then  that  the  character  of  the  boy  may 
change  its  whole  direction,  and  that  his  ideals  may 
widely  improve.  To  be  sure,  with  right  conditions, 
there  ought  to  be  a  unity  of  growth  from  childhood  to 
manhood;  but  nevertheless  in  many  a  life  there  is  a 
striking  change,  and  if  this  change  takes  place  under 
the  guidance  of  a  strong,  true,  and  wise  person,  the 
boy  will  have  such  a  vision  of  the  world,  such  a  con- 
sciousness of  his  duties,  and  such  a  devotion  to  his 
opportunities  as  will  make  him  quite  another  creature. 
The  girl  too  will  find  revelations  of  which  she  had  not 
dreamed;  life  will  for  her  take  on  a  deeper  and  richer 
meaning.  She  will  live  her  ideals  with  a  patience  and 
a  zeal  and  a  self-forgetfulness  which  the  earlier  years 
of  her  life  had  neither  known  nor  promised.  Not  alone 
youth,  but  childhood  is  the  time  to  work.  It  is  the  time 
for  the  royal  formation  of  life,  thought,  and  character. 

The  Sunday-school  must  occupy  a  wider  field.  It 
The  must  do  a  great  deal  of  work  on  other  days 

Larger  than  Sunday.  As  an  institution,  the  Church 

!ld>  is  not  doing  half  its  duty  to  the  young. 
With  the  large  opportunity  which  now  opens,  to 


The  Institutions  of  Education       63 

neglect  the  work  which  crowds  upon  us  is  criminal. 
We  must  provide  for  early  childhood;  here  we  have 
failed  least.  We  must  provide  for  the  children  under 
twelve  years  of  age;  here  we  have  done  not  so  badly. 
We  must  provide  for  the  great  company  of  youth  and 
maidens  between  twelve  and  eighteen  years  of  age;  here 
we  have  failed  miserably.  We  must  further  meet  the 
deep  soul-hunger  in  young  men  and  young  women 
above  eighteen  years  of  age;  of  this  we  have  scarcely 
begun  to  think.  We  must  be  rid  of  our  forms,  of  our 
prejudices,  of  our  blindness,  and  humbly  and  simply 
and  earnestly,  as  does  a  little  child,  go  forward  to 
learn  those  lessons  which  are  continually  taught  to 
open-minded  disciples  by  Him  who  came  to  give  us 
the  more  abundant  life. 

But  how  can  this  change  be  brought  about?  We 
must  have  somebody  whose  business  it  is  to  study  the 
field  and  adapt  means  to  ends.  Of  all  men,  ^^e  Ways 
the  one  for  this  place  is  the  pastor  in  the  of 

smaller  churches,  and  the  assistant  pastor  in  01 
the  larger  ones.  He  must  be  a  man  of  good  education, 
of  wide  experience,  of  rich  training  of  mind  and  heart; 
his  first  work  must  be  the  training  of  the  young.  Call 
this  man  what  we  may,  he  is  to  be  a  paid  superintend- 
ent, who  can  give  his  time,  thought,  and  energies  to 
the  highest  development  of  character  in  the  people 
whom  he  serves.  His  heart  must  be  open  to  every 
good  impulse,  ready  to  welcome  every  new  idea  and 
every  leading  of  the  Divine  Spirit.  He  will  be  a  man 


64  Up  Through  Childhood 

of  robust  common-sense,  who  will  put  all  ideas, 
theories,  and  propositions  to  the  test,  and  having 
proved  all,  hold  fast  to  that  which  is  good;  above  and 
beyond  all  these  things,  he  will  be  a  man  who  sin- 
cerely loves  children.  There  is  no  love  that  is  abso- 
lutely valuable  except  the  love  that  instinctively  and 
spontaneously  goes  out  to  the  individual  child.  The 
world  is  to  be  saved  not  in  masses,  but  a  human  soul, 
carrying  the  torch  of  God,  must  pass  the  light  to  an- 
other human  soul,  and  so  on  until  the  whole  army 
have  lighted  their  torches  and  are  ready  to  go  forth  to 
dispel  the  darkness.  His  is  the  work  of  organising  all 
the  forces  in  the  community  which  can  be  made  to 
serve  the  development  of  character  in  that  community. 
It  is  a  very  poor  neighbourhood  which  does  not  have 
in  it  a  few  people  who,  if  their  energies  were  properly 
directed,  could  be  a  means  of  great  help  to  many,  if  not 
all,  in  the  neighbourhood.  Our  superintendent  will 
gather  the  forces  of  righteousness,  and  see  that  they 
are  used  in  the  right  way.  In  short,  he  will  organise 
the  life  of  the  community  to  work  through  the  Sunday- 
school,  and  individually,  to  improve  the  character  of 
men  and  of  society. 

It  is  the  work  of  the  Sunday-school  to 
The  Aim 

of  the  improve  life,  by : 

Sunday-  T    Knowledge. — Its  special  duty  is  to  teach 

those  things  which  will  give  aspiration  and 

insight;  the  regular  meetings  of  the  school  may  well 

have  for  their  major  purpose  the  great  end  of  planting 


The  Institutions  of  Education       65 

and  fixing  ideals  and  adapting  these  to  the  life  of  every 
day. 

2.  Practice  in  Righteousness. — It  must  definitely  plan 
for  the  practice  in  righteousness.     If  one  is  to  have 
skill  in  right  doing,  he  may  gain  it  chiefly  by  doing 
right  things.      Only  by  intelligent  practice,  practice 
usually  under  guidance,  may  one  hope  to  reach  any 
high    degree    of   excellence    in    doing   those    things 
which   are  best   worth   while.     Happy   indeed   if   by 
means  of  the    Sunday-school    the    student    may    be 
carried  somewhat  farther  in  his  knowledge  of  the  art 
of  life. 

3.  Supervision. — The  Sunday-school  may  very  prop- 
erly take  general  oversight  of  the  conduct  of  its  mem- 
bers and  of  their  development  in  all  lines  that  will  help 
to  make  them  efficient  and  forceful  agents  in  the  world; 
of  course,   emphasising  chiefly   the   establishment   of 
high  aims  and  wise  means  of  attaining  these.     Is  there 
any  reason  why  the  regular   Sunday  session  of  the 
school  should  not  be  generally  occupied  with  reports 
and  counsel  touching  the  right  ways  of  doing  good 
things  day  by  day?     Sunday  will  become  the  great 
gathering  day  for  consulting  about  the  spiritual  inter- 
ests of  the  community,  a  day  in  which  men  and  women, 
boys  and  girls,  shall  not  only  gather  new  strength  for 
the  work  of  life,  but  shall  be  led  to  understand  more 
fully    the    opportunities,    duties,    and    responsibilities 
which  their  places  impose  upon  them.     Ways  of  work 
will  be  discussed,  reports  of  successes — yes,  and  often 

5 


66  Up  Through  Childhood 

reports  of  defeat;  plans  will  be  here  wrought  out  by 
which  real  service  may  be  rendered  to  many  another. 
This  will  be  the  meeting  day,  and  the  Sunday-school 
will  be  the  meeting  place  for  counsel  on  all  the  larger 
interests  that  touch  deeply  individual  lives  in  the 
community. 

It  has  a  large  opportunity,   for  it  represents  the 
focusing  of  the  religious  life  of  the  community  as  ap- 
plied to  the  young.     Again  and  again  the 

The  Op-  teacher  may  say  ''Only  thirty  minutes, 
port  unity. 

only    thirty     minutes!"     but    it    may    be 

thirty  minutes  of  supreme  opportunity.  If  the 
teacher  and  officers  have  won  the  child's  respect 
and  affection  there  may  be  many  days  of  general,  ordin- 
ary, helpful  teaching;  but  come  there  will,  and  come 
there  must,  the  high  and  holy  time  of  supreme  oppor- 
tunity. The  child  has  been  coming  from  week  to 
week  with  the  purpose  and  expectation  of  discussing 
religious  things.  He  feels  that  this  discussion  is  proper 
and  desirable,  and,  when  old  enough  to  think  seriously 
of  the  matter,  really  welcomes  all  the  instruction  and 
encouragement  which  will  help  him  in  working  out  his 
little  problems  of  life.  Many  a  teacher  restrains  him- 
self from  the  opportunity  for  strong,  helpful  religious 
teaching.  But  religious  culture  meets  a  definite  need 
in  the  child's  nature,  and  to  withhold  it  is  to  deprive 
him  of  his  birthright.  The  Sunday-school  should  pro- 
vide for  oversight,  for  instruction,  and  for  practice  in 
righteousness. 


The  Institutions  of  Education       67 

The  Organisation 

It  should  be  carefully  and  strongly  organised,  with 
every  officer  in  his  special  place  only  because  he  is  best 
fitted  for  that  place.  The  wealth  there  to  be  sought  is 
not  the  wealth  of  stocks,  bonds,  or  banks,  but  it  is  the 
wealth  of  manhood,  of  fine  character,  of  delicate  in- 
sight, of  purity,  of  the  power  of  the  immortal  spirit. 

Valuable  as  social  standing  is,  the  officer  is  to  be 
chosen  not  only  for  that,  but  for  richness  of  nature, 
for  real  love  for  his  fellow  man,  for  power  to  do 
good.  Not  alone  nor  chiefly  shall  he  be  chosen  for 
ability  to  speak  in  public,  but  more  than  all  for  his 
sterling,  active,  aggressive  character  as  a  worker  of 

righteousness. 

The  Officers 

The  superintendent  should  be  a  man  of  common 
sense,  of  large  view,  of  earnest  piety,  of  deep 

insight,  of  real  sympathy  and  unfeigned  love    .     s"Per" 

mtendent. 
for  humanity, — a  love  which,  because  of  its 

nobleness  and  naturalness,  invites  his  fellow  men. 

He  needs  to  be  a  man  of  common  sense,  because  in 
the  Sunday-school  are  found  men  who,  with  the  best 
intentions,  are  disposed  to  pursue  questionable  ends,  or 
worthy  ends  by  questionable  means,  and  it  is  his  duty 
to  protect  the  child  from  the  experiments  of  these 
"  faddists."  He  must  be  a  man  of  large  view,  that  he 
may  see  the  end  from  the  beginning,  that  he  may 
know  how  minor  aims  may  be  wisely  subordinated  to 
the  larger  aim,  and  that  he  may  recognise  the  greatness 


68  Up  Through  Childhood 

of  the  work  which  he  has  undertaken.  Every  thought- 
ful parent  has  regretted  that  now  and  then  some  leader 
of  his  child  in  religious  things  has  on  some  important 
topic  taken  a  position  which  the  child  in  his  frankness 
and  innocence  feels  called  upon  to  criticise.  Surely 
there  can  be  no  stronger  plea  for  piety  in  the  man  who 
is  both  an  example  and  a  guardian.  In  life's  work, 
and  particularly  in  religious  work,  many  things  are  not 
what  they  seem,  and  there  is  the  need  of  deep  insight 
to  recognise  the  budding  possibility  in  the  nature  of  the 
slowly  unfolding  child.  How  cheap  and  common  are 
the  expressions  of  sympathy,  but  those  who  realise  the 
value  of  the  genuine  article  will  not  question  the  su- 
preme value  of  the  high  and  fine  and  beautiful  senti- 
ments which  work  so  mightily  among  the  children  of 
men,  opening  closed  doors,  and  admitting  a  flow  of 
thought  and  feeling  which  comes  to  heal.  This  is  the 
supreme  test.  No  matter  how  correct  the  life,  no 
matter  how  noble  the  intention,  if  there  be  not  a  touch 
of  human  sympathy,  the  superintendent  must  fail  to 
do  his  work.  No  correct  automaton,  no  finely  adjusted 
intellectual  machine,  no  manipulator  of  words  only,  can 
grapple  to  his  heart  with  hooks  of  steel  his  fellow  men. 
Granted  an  assistant  superintendent  who  subordin- 
Assistant  ates  ^imse^  to  n^s  superior,  and  has  for  his 
Superin-  supreme  purpose  to  serve  both  the  school 
tendent.  as  an  institution  and  the  students  as  indi- 
viduals, and  there  can  be  no  question  of  the  need  of  an 
assistant  superintendent  even  in  the  small  schools;  in 


The  Institutions  of  Education       69 

the  larger  schools  several  will  be  needed,  each  to  have 
his  special  duties.  The  ordinary  needs  will  suggest 
the  persons  for  the  places;  but  there  is  one  place  which 
is  to  my  mind  that  of  supreme  need  and  for  which  in 
the  larger  schools  I  have  not  yet  seen  any  one  ap- 
pointed, and  that  is  just  for  general  acquaintanceship 
with  the  needs,  desires,  and  purposes  of  the  individual 
students.  Perhaps  the  classes  might  be  wisely  divided, 
and  two  or  more  persons  make  a  definite  effort  to  be- 
come acquainted  with  every  student  in  his  section.  It 
will  thus  allow  for  the  personal  touch  of  the>  officials 
with  the  individual  student. 

The  secretary  should  be  a  live,  energetic,  active, 
business-like  man,  the  maker  of  tables,  the  analyser  of 
conditions,  a  man  who  can  arrange,  classify, 
and  interpret  the  changing  manifestations  secretary 
of  the  school's  life  as  set  forth  in  figures. 
In  more  than  one  sense,  he  is  the  superintendent's 
right-hand  man,  and  not  only  keeps  tab  on  the  general 
conditions  of  the  school's  purpose  and  life,  and  its 
growth  and  manifestations  as  an  institution,  but  in 
himself,  or  by  means  of  his  assistants,  follows  the  life 
and  growth  of  the  individual  students,  and  as  they  go 
out  to  other  homes  and  take  up  work  in  new  fields,  pro- 
vides that  they  may  receive  a  welcome  in  the  new  home, 
where  otherwise  they  might  long  seem  like  strangers.1 

1  A  letter  to  the  Sunday-school  near  the  student's  new  home 
may  at  once  bring  him  friends  and  a  welcome  which  it  would 
take  him  months  to  win. 


70  Up  Through  Childhood 

The    librarian    has    a   particularly    attractive    and 

promising  field.     If  he  is  a  sensible  man  who  knows 

and  loves  books,  and  who  is  restricted  by  no 

r!je  traditions  which  will  limit  his  suiting  the 

Librarian. 

reading  to  the  child's  best  tastes  and  growth, 

he  can  perform  a  work  which  is  boundless  in  its  results. 

It  is  a  part  of  the  librarian's  business  to  provide  for 
the  development  in  spiritual  taste,  touching  the  finer 
literature  at  many  points  and  bringing  to  the  child's 
attention  not  only  books  worth  knowing  but  the  books 
of  all  time,  which  it  is  indispensable  to  know. 

In  planning  the  curriculum  it  must  never  be  for- 
gotten that  character  is  the  great  end  of  all  teaching. 
Teaching  may  fix  principles  and  help  to 

form  ideals,  but  it  is  practice  in  righteous- 
Curnculum. 

ness  which  makes  character.     Forbush  says  : 

"  The  Church  must  use  freer,  more  varied,  and  more 
unconventional  means  than  in  the  past.  If  some  pious 
heart  tremulously  inquires  of  a  given  plan,  '  Is  there 
enough  of  Christ  in  it  ? '  my  straightforward  rejoinder 
shall  be,  '  Is  there  enough  boy  in  it  ? '  "  The  curricu- 
lum must  very  clearly  consist  of  two  parts.  A  part 
which  furnishes  knowledge  and  ideals,  and  a  part 
which  offers  practice  in  righteousness.  One  of  these 
is  just  as  essential  as  the  other.  The  Sunday-school 
curriculum  has  not  yet  been  worked  out,  so  far  as  I 
know,  and  indeed  I  question  whether  there  can  be  a 
general  ideal  curriculum.  Each  school  must  meet 
local  conditions,  and  each  school  has  its  advantages 


The  Institutions  of  Education       71 

and  opportunities  which  should  be  considered  in  the 
preparation  of  the  curriculum. 

In  a  general  way  it  is  very  safe  to  say  that  the  work, 
both  as  to  teaching  and  practice,  must  be  adapted  to 
the  varying  ages  of  the  different  students. 

If  we  could  be  free  from  a  number  of  the  minor 
societies  which  take  time  and  energy  from  y^e  Ideal 
the  Sunday-school,  I  believe  that  that  in-  Sunday- 
stitution  might  fill  a  large  place  in  the  best  School, 
life  of  the  community.  It  has  many  advantages  in  its 
favour: 

1.  In  general  the  people  are  of  something  near  the 
same  social  and  intellectual  standing. 

2.  They  have  the  same  general  ideals  of  faith  and 
conduct. 

3.  Their  church  life  combines  them  into  a  kind  of 
unity. 

4.  They  are  likely  to  want  about  the  same  kind  of 
personal  development  in  their  children. 

In  the  light  of  these  advantages  it  seems  to  me  that 
the  Sunday-school  occupies  a  vantage  ground  for  the 
work  of  character  training.  But  to  do  this  perfect 
work  it  must  have,  in  a  position  of  influence  and  au- 
thority, a  strong,  true,  earnest,  unselfish  man,  who  is 
gifted  with  insight,  and  has  a  breadth  of  culture  which 
will  enable  him  to  advise  wisely. 

He  must  be  able  and  willing  to  avail  himself  of  all 
agencies  existing  in  the  communities  for  the  develop- 
ment of  the  children.  The  Sunday-school  will  then 


72  Up  Through  Childhood 

seek  to  supplement  other  educational  agencies  which 
the  community  affords,  and  will  have  for  its  special 

purpose  the  instruction  in  holy  things 
All  and  practice  in  right  living.  This  will  re- 

Available  quire  a  wise  use  of  every  agency  available 

in  the  community,  and  the  establishment 
of  such  other  agencies  as  may  contribute  to  the 
purpose.  In  a  general  way  the  school  must  afford  a 
place  for  all.  It  must  include  in  its  membership  all 
who  are  in  harmony  with  its  general  spirit  and  pur- 
pose, and  are  willing  to  avail  themselves  of  the  bene- 
fits which  it  offers,  and  to  perform  the  duties  which  it 
imposes.  In  one  community,  the  general  education  of 
the  children  will  be  abundantly  provided  for,  and  the 
school  will  there  need  only  to  supplement  the  education 
with  manual  training,  agricultural  teaching,  or  what- 
ever else  may  be  of  immediate  benefit  to  the  children 
concerned.  In  another  community,  the  industrial  and 
motor  side  may  be  fully  provided  for,  and  the  children 
will  need  some  little  additional  cultivation  along  the 
aesthetic  side.  This  may  be  supplied  by  art  classes,  by 
a  camera  club,  or  by  some  agency  contributing  to  the 
enlargement  of  the  aesthetic  instinct  in  the  child's  life. 
In  another  community,  all  these  may  be  fairly  provided 
for,  and  yet  the  social  life  may  be  unsatisfactory,  being 
comparatively  selfish  and  narrow  or  dominated  by  false 
ideals.  Here  the  Sunday-school  can  now  and  then 
be  a  great  reformatory  institution,  with  all  of  these 
other  elements  to  purify  the  moral  tone,  giving  large 


The  Institutions  of  Education       73 

emphasis  to  honour,  truth,  and  integrity,  and  a  stirring 
devotion  to  all  righteousness.  It  is  readily  apparent 
that  with  this  plan  in  mind  the  Sunday-school  can 
never  restrict  itself  to  a  service  of  one  day  in  the  week, 
but  that  it  must  have  a  general  supervision  of  the  life 
of  the  child,  and  must  contribute  largely,  strongly,  and 
steadily  to  the  development  of  a  wholesome  character. 
And  yet  do  I  need  to  say  that  the  superintendent  or 
other  agent  in  charge  of  this  work  must  never  forget 

that  the  home  has  the  first  claim,  and  that   , 

The  Home 

no  kind  of  officiousness,  however  well  in-        Has  the 
tended,  is  moral  enough  to  be  substituted  First 

for  the  influence  of  any  place  that  may  half 
be  called  home,  or  if  it  lessens  the  real  affection  of 
the  children  for  their  natural  guides  and  protectors? 
Where  the  scale  of  civilisation  is  low,  there  is  the 
danger  that  this  general  helpfulness  may  tend  to 
pauperise  the  community,  and  give  the  people  a  tend- 
ency to  seek  something  other  than  the  highest  and 
truest  life  for  their  own  and  other  children.  There  is 
a  further  caution.  No  kind  of  community  life  can  be 
permanently  and  strongly  helpful  in  our  country  unless 
founded  upon  the  democratic  principle.  And  these 
children,  if  they  are  to  be  helped  by  the  Sunday-school, 
must  somehow  receive  that  large  spirit  which  leads 
them  to  seek  good  for  its  own  sake,  and  in  all  efforts 
strive  for  a  large  development  of  their  own  thought 
and  life.  Under  this  plan  it  may  readily  be  seen  that 
there  is  no  general  curriculum  possible,  and  that  the 


74  Up  Through  Childhood 

Sunday-school  which  tries  to  take  the  exclusive  educa- 
tion of  the  people  of  any  community  is  attempting  some- 
thing which  it  has  no  right  to  claim,  and  for  which  it 
is  not  at  all  equipped. 


PART  II 
THE  TEACHER 


75 


CHAPTER  V 

THE  TEACHER   AND   HIS   WORK 

IT  is  already  recognised  that  the  teacher  is  here  con- 
sidered not  as  a  dispenser  of  knowledge  but  as  an  agent 
in  the  making  of  character.  In  the  large  The 

view  of  a  teacher's  work  we  can  recognise  Teacher's 
no  difference  in  the  purpose  of  the  Sunday-  Work, 
school  teacher  and  that  of  the  day-school  teacher. 
With  both,  character  is  the  large  aim,  and  the  aim 
toward  which  all  minor  aims  must  tend.  It  is  a 
teacher's  privilege  and  duty  to  inspire.  Because  of 
his  influence  on  the  child,  his  life  must  be  finer  and 
higher  than  that  of  his  pupils.  It  is  his  work  to  call 
out  power,  to  lead  each  child  to  discover  in  his  own 
nature  powers  of  which  he  was  before  ignorant;  in 
short,  to  make  him  more  than  he  would  have  been 
without  the  teacher's  quickening  touch.  The  child  is 
many-sided  in  his  powers  and  in  his  possibilities,  and 
the  teacher  who  wisely  calls  out  these  in  the  many 
directions,  discovers  that  in  a  very  true  sense  he  has 
been  instrumental  in  making  character. 

In  a  university  in  one  of  the  Western  States,  it  was 
noticed  that  one  of  the  girls  devoted  herself  very  closely 

77 


78  Up  Through  Childhood 

to  her  work,  and  in  every  recitation  paid  earnest  and 
constant  attention.  The  instructor  one  day  com- 

mended  her  for  her  unfailing  devotion  to 
The 

Ambition     duty.     "  Ah!  "  said  she,  "  I  am  determined 

for  to  make  the  most  of  the  material  that  has 

Excellence. .  .  TT 

been  given  me.  '     Hers  was  a  good  teacher, 

for  with  her  the  teaching  process  had  wrought  its  per- 
fect work.  Desire  for  excellence  and  for  the  full  devel- 
opment of  her  powers  had  become  a  dominant  influence 
in  her  life.  To  set  the  student  on  fire  with  this  holy 
ambition,  that  he  may  reach  the  highest  and  noblest 
development, —  this  is  a  teacher's  supreme  business. 
"  A  teacher  is  one  who  has  Head  enough  and  Heart 
enough  and  Time  enough  and  Liberty  enough,  to  be  a 
Master  in  the  Kingdom  of  Life.*' 

Perhaps  more  than  in  any  other  field,  the  teacher  of 

religious  things  is  in  danger  of  lacking  the  equipment 

of  solid  common-sense.      It  has  been  too 

J?cad  .  long  believed  that  the  field  of  morals  is 
Enough. 

different  from  other  fields,  and  that  religious 
teaching  will  somehow  take  care  of  itself,  if  the  motive 
is  right.  A  large  part  of  religious  teaching  is  such  as 
to  demand  constant  apology  from  the  head  for  the 
sentiments  and  beliefs  of  the  heart.  The  teacher  who 
is  to  be  a  Master  in  the  Kingdom  of  I/ife  must  cull  from 
every  realm  of  nature.  There  is  in  literature  nothing 
too  high  or  fine;  in  history,  nothing  too  broad,  pro- 
found, or  philosophic;  in  science,  no  lessons  too  in- 
tricate, and  no  illustrations  too  striking.  All  the 


The  Teacher  and  His  Work        79 

world  is  tributary;  and  just  in  proportion  as  he  is  able 
to  lay  hold  on  knowledge  and  make  it  serve  his  pur- 
pose, so  far  is  the  teacher  able  to  feel  that  the  head 
serves  its  purpose  in  this  office  of  mastership. 

But  poor  indeed  is  the  service  he  can  render  if  the 
head  alone  prevails.  There  is  the  rich,  strong,  not- to- 
be-denied  call  of  the  heart.  We  Americans 

love  our  friends,  and  love  them  dearly;  but 

Enough. 

it  is  almost  a  national  failing  to  repress  our 
feelings,  and  rob  those  who  lean  upon  us,  by  hold- 
ing back  the  best  and  finest  that  is  in  our  natures. 
We  may  love  our  friends  enough  to  die  for  them, 
but  we  would  rather  die  than  tell  them  so.  A  strange 
and  perverse  remnant,  this,  of  an  age  when  all  simple 
and  true  natural  feeling  was  counted  as  a  sin!  The 
teacher's  heart  must  glow  with  a  warm  and  an  un- 
feigned love.  It  must  have  that  fire  of  the  soul 
which  is  too  strong  and  too  noble  to  be  unwise,  un- 
kind, or  untrue.  Love  must  permeate,  penetrate, 
and  dominate  his  life  and  thought.  But  this  is 
not  to  be  a  pretended  love.  Of  all  hypocrisy  there  is 
none  so  abominable  as  that  which  pretends  to  an  affec- 
tion which  does  not  exist;  and  none  so  transparent,  for 
a  child  will  quickly  know  it,  in  spite  of  honeyed  words, 
if  the  heart  does  not  beat  true. 

But  it  is  not  enough  that  the  teacher  have  large 
equipment  of  mind  and  large  equipment  of  Time 

heart,  there  must  be  time — time  for  the  teach-  Enough, 
er's  thought  to  be  applied  to  the  work  he  has  in 


8o  Up  Through  Childhood 

hand;  time  for  him  to  plan  and  think  and  ponder; 
time  for  him  to  stand  face  to  face  with  the  great  prob- 
lems which  each  individual  pupil  presents  to  him  in 
the  character  that  is  to  be  developed.  He  must  have 
time  to  work  out  the  fine  and  delicate  process  of  in- 
fluence; he  must  not  be  in  haste  about  the  supreme 
things;  he  must  realise  that  character  is  of  slow  growth, 
and  that  always  and  everywhere  the  things  that  are  to 
be  eternal  must  be  wrought  as  under  the  eye  of  God. 
How  large,  how  abiding,  how  infinite,  his  work!  How 
long  must  be  the  time  required! 

But  a  teacher  also  is  one  who  has  liberty.     There 
must  be  no  binding  by  the  petty  bonds  of  creed  or  sect, 

it  must  be  understood  that  he  is  a  dispenser 
Enough  °^  ^e'  ^at  ^e  comes  in  the  spirit  of  his 

Master  that  his  pupils — all  his  pupils — may 
have  life,  and  have  it  more  abundantly.  He  is  an  artist 
in  the  things  of  the  soul,  and  he  cannot  be  required  to 
rest  upon  marks  and  grades  and  reward  cards,  upon 
numbering  and  counting,  and  even  the  saying  of  verses 
— from  the  Bible  though  they  may  be.  I  would  not 
have  him  harrow  up  the  thought  of  any  pastor  or 
' '  father  or  mother  in  Israel ' ' ;  but  when  he  strongly 
and  truly  and  intelligently  gives  himself  to  the  work 
of  teaching,  he  must  not  be  bound,  as  to  ideas  or  plans 
or  doctrines,  to  say  over  after  any  of  these  men  or 
women  the  stereotyped  phrase,  or  deaden  in  form  the 
action  of  life  or  thought.  I  have  no  excuse  to  offer  for 
the  teacher  who  plants  in  the  mind  of  the  child  poisoned 


The  Teacher  and  His  Work       81 

ideas,  or  seed-thoughts  that  are  to  bring  forth  the  har- 
vest of  sin;  but  for  him  who  is  in  touch  with  the  Divine, 
and,  looking  into  the  face  of  God,  brings  to  the  soul 
of  the  child  messages  fresh  from  the  spirit  world,  there 
must  be  large  liberty.  To  the  church  officer  who 
would  lay  hands  on  work  of  this  kind,  we  may  utter 
the  warning  of  the  Psalmist :  '  *  Touch  not  mine 
anointed  and  do  my  prophets  no  harm." 

But  it  must  be  said  that  the  religious  teacher,  and 
particularly  the  teacher  who  is  at  work  in  the  Sunday- 
school,  has  little  time  in  which  to  touch  and 
,          e  ,       ,  r.,       ,.,,     Too  Little 

shape  for  eternity  the  character  of  the  child.  Time 

True  enough,  but  there  are  a  thousand 
things  which  make  for  success,  and  success  in  this 
very  field.  "Only  thirty  minutes,"  you  say,  "only 
thirty  minutes  to  mould  a  soul  for  eternity  ? ' '  Yes, 
only  thirty  minutes,  but  it  is  thirty  minutes  of  oppor- 
tunity. The  child  comes  to  the  teacher  expecting  to 
be  instructed  in  divine  things,  ready  for  an  appeal  to 
mind  and  heart  and  conscience,  expecting  to  learn  true 
and  strong  and  worthy  things,  desiring  sometimes, 
willing  almost  always,  to  have  the  teacher  touch  the 
deeper  and  better  experiences  of  the  week  that  is  past, 
and  arouse  aspirations  for  the  week  that  is  to  come. 
Then  too  this  thirty  minutes  is  not  all  of  the  teacher's 
time  or  influence.  If  he  has  taken  hold  upon  the 
affections  of  the  child,  if  he  has  laid  siege  to  the  citadel 
of  the  heart,  reaching  over  many  a  slow  dark  hour  of 
the  days  that  are  passed,  the  successful  teacher  has  won 


82  Up  Through  Childhood 

the  child's  respect — his  affection.  Now,  in  the  light 
of  all  that  is  at  stake,  what  will  he  do  with  it  in  that 
thirty  minutes  ?  With  the  understanding  that  the  su- 
preme moment  must  sometime  come,  may  he,  can  he, 
dare  he,  trifle  ?  You  may  teach  to-day  and  next  Sun- 
day and  the  Sunday  after,  and  the  lesson  may  go  on  in 
the  same  quiet  way;  but  to  the  teacher  who  sees,  there 
will  one  day  come  the  token  that  the  heart  is  ready, 
that  the  supreme  moment  has  arrived;  and  a  few  words 
then  wisely  said,  deeply  placed,  backed  by  the  strength 
and  courtesy  and  courage  and  impulse  of  the  teacher's 
earnest  life,  will  be  engraved  upon  the  child's  mind 
forever.  Resolves  will  then  be  taken  which  shall  not 
fail,  pledges  made,  perhaps  only  to  the  pupil's  own 
heart,  but  to  exercise  an  influence  for  all  eternity;  and 
if  our  teacher  has  been  planning,  growing,  preparing 
for  this  hour,  how  fully  he  is  ready,  how  richly  pre- 
pared, how  wisely  equipped.  Only  thirty  minutes,  but 
to  the  child  who  has  been  led  to  assume  the  responsi- 
bilities of  his  own  life  and  who  longs  for  his  own  devel- 
opment, that  is  enough.  Then  comes  the  hour  when 
character  takes  the  holding  turn.  The  direction  given 
in  that  half  hour  in  youth  will  reach  to  the  shadows  of 
old  age.  "  Sow  a  thought,  and  reap  an  act;  sow  an 
act,  and  reap  a  habit;  sow  a  habit,  and  reap  a  character; 
sow  a  character,  and  reap  a  destiny." 

That  teacher  who  has  with  striving  wrought  into 
his  own  nature,  by  the  grace  and  mercy  and  power  of 
God,  integrity,  strength,  love,  and  gentleness,  finds  his 


The  Teacher  and  His  Work        83 

reward  in  that  his  influence  is  multiplied  in  the  lives  of 
his  students.  He  sees  the  glory  and  beauty  of  the 
unfolding  life;  he  finds  accuracy  and  clear- 
ness and  strength,  where  before  there  was  Reward 
crudeness,  dulness,  and  weakness.  He  finds 
a  life  which  was  once  untrue,  now  mostly  true;  he  finds 
a  boyhood  which  was  uncertain,  and  which  many  times 
disappointed  him,  opening  into  a  manhood  in  which 
the  right  prevails,  and  into  a  character  which  outstrips 
himself  —  the  very  one  to  whose  watchfulness  and  de- 
votion and  unfailing  faith  its  largest  impulses  may  be 
due.  Is  it  not  enough  that  he  who  has  planted  finds  a 
harvest  of  a  hundred-fold  ?  Is  it  not  enough  that  you, 
teacher,  find  in  your  students,  as  the  years  go  by,  a 
growth  in  manhood,  in  womanhood,  a  development  of 
character  which  outstrips  your  own  and  promises  well 
for  the  years  that  are  to  come  ? 

But  there  is  another  side  to  this  question;  the  teacher 
cannot  help  all.     First,  he  is  not  wise  enough  ;  he  will 
sometimes  fail  to  do  the  very  thing  that  is 
crying  out  to  be  done.     L,et  his  heart  be  sad 


as  would  be  that  of  the  physician  who,  with 
the  patient  at  death's  door,  failed  to  give  the  medicine 
which  might  have  cured.  A  carpenter  who  spoils  the 
board  for  lack  of  knowledge  or  lack  of  skill,  may  cast 
it  aside;  but  the  teacher  who,  for  lack  of  knowledge  or 
lack  of  skill,  has  ruined  a  human  soul  must  feel  that 
he  is  the  worst  of  bunglers.  For  all  this  kind  of  work 
there  is  nothing  but  a  remorse  which  knows  no  balm. 


84  Up  Through  Childhood 

But  there  is  another  kind  of  defeat  which  one  cannot 
help.  There  are  some  natures  that  are  so  different  from 
Natures  ours,  born  to  be  so  antagonistic,  set  to  an- 
that  other  key,  that  we  can  never  help  them;  and 

epe  '  the  only  recourse  is  to  place  them  under  the 
care  of  a  teacher  differently  constituted.  Happy  and 
wise  is  that  superintendent  or  parent  who  shall  be  able 
to  bring  about  without  harm  the  change  of  a  child 
from  an  environment  where  the  teacher's  influence 
harms,  to  one  where  the  teacher's  influence  blesses. 
Let  me  illustrate. 

In  an  English  school  the  boys  were  busy  with  their 
lessons  and  their  stolen  play.  The  master,  looking 
along  the  line,  noticed  that  one  boy  shrank  from  his 
eye,  and  quickly  turned  his  slate  over.  The  school 
was  dismissed  for  recess,  and  the  boys  went  storming 
out  to  play.  At  once,  the  master  stepped  to  the  desk 
and,  holding  the  slate  to  the  light,  read : 

"  I  do  not  like  you,  Doctor  Fell, 
The  reason  why  I  cannot  tell ; 
But  this  I  know,  and  know  full  well, 
I  do  not  like  you,  Doctor  Fell." 

The  reason  why  we  may  not  tell,  but  it  is  a  truth  as 
patent  as  the  sun  in  heaven,  and  one  from  which  no 
amount  of  arguing  and  planning,  hoping  or  praying, 
may  release  us.  There  is  just  one  thing  to  do:  change 
the  teacher,  or  change  the  child.  This  need  arises 
often,  but  many  a  child  repels  only  because  it  has  not 


The  Teacher  and  His  Work        85 

learned  to  love;  patience  and  skill  will  find  the  lost 
chord  and  establish  the  harmony.  Before  deciding 
that  the  trouble  is  due  to  inborn  antagonism,  we  will 
try  every  reasonable  means  to  touch  hands  and  hearts. 
Allowing  for  these  disappointments  and  these  fatal  mis- 
takes, I  know  of  no  work  that  an  angel  might  rather 
do.  The  teacher's  work  is  a  part  of  God's;  it  makes 
for  character,  which  we  believe  to  be  eternal.  "  As 
God  lives,  what  is  excellent  is  permanent." 


CHAPTER  VI 
THE  TEACHER'S  PREPARATION 

IN  this  age  it  would  hardly  seem  necessary  to  argue 
the  importance  of  preparation,  but  when  one  consid- 
Imoortance  ers  ^e  thousands  who  are  willing  to  take 
of  Pre-  upon  themselves  the  responsibilities  and 
paration.  obligations  of  training  the  young  in  spiritual 
things  with  small  equipment  and  little  disposition  for 
advancement,  he  is  astounded  that  the  daring  is  so 
general  and  the  sense  of  responsibility  so  light.  It  has 
been  assumed  that  good  intentions  will  alone  cover  all 
shortcomings  and  justify  all  neglect.  Indeed,  it  is 
argued  by  people  who  have  very  fair  education  that 
there  is  no  art  of  bringing  up  to  virtue,  and  no  general 
plan  of  training  for  character  to  the  end  that  the  child 
may  become  a  worthy  citizen  of  a  spiritual  kingdom. 
No  one  thinks  it  strange  that  a  man  who  would  work 
in  iron  must  be  carefully  taught  through  a  long  and 
painstaking  apprenticeship,  that  the  carpenter  must 
give  time  and  thought  that  his  hand  may  gain  skill 
and  that  his  mind  may  gain  insight  and  judgment. 
The  architect  who  would  plan  a  house  must  have  the 
best  training  that  the  schools  and  workers  in  his  craft 

86 


The  Teacher's  Preparation          87 

can  offer;  but  with  what  hardihood  it  is  assumed  that 
the  teacher  who  plans  for  eternity,  who  would  guide 
the  child  into  a  richer  and  higher  growth  and  fit  him 
to  become  a  member  of  the  spiritual  kingdom,  is  able 
to  accomplish  this  work  on  the  meagre  capital  of  good 
intentions! 

In  recent  times  another  problem  has  entered  into  this 
matter  of  religious  teaching.  The  children  in  the  day- 
school  are  now  largely  taught  by  trained  The  Hurt_ 
teachers,  and  are  accustomed  to  have  know-  ful  Corn- 
ledge  presented  to  their  minds  and  appeals  panson. 
made  to  their  hearts  with  some  degree  of  skill.  When 
the  religious  teacher  comes  to  them  in  a  bungling  or 
careless  manner,  he  suffers  by  comparison,  and  the 
message  which  he  brings  is  discounted. 

From  the  time  of  the  Reformation  it  has  been  cus- 
tomary to  teach  the  Bible  instead  of  teaching  the  child, 
and  we  are  just  beginning  to  realise  that  The  child 
not  of  itself  is  the  Bible  the  means  of  salva-  and  the 
tion.  There  is  great  need  for  the  careful  Bible' 
study  of  the  child  nature,  and  not  a  study  of  little  child- 
ren alone,  but  the  study  of  all  the  stages  from  infancy 
to  manhood.  Just  now  the  most  interesting  and  at- 
tractive field  of  study  is  the  period  of  adolescence,  and 
this  study  seems  to  promise  greater  results  to  the  re- 
ligious teacher  than  any  other  in  which  he  may  engage. 
This  is  the  great  period  of  conversion.  Here  the  mind 
of  the  youth  or  maiden  turns  naturally  to  religious 
questions.  The  deeper  problems  of  life  are  pressing 


88  Up  Through  Childhood 

upon  the  young  mind  for  solution,  and  any  help  which 
the  teacher  may  be  able  to  give  is  sure  of  a  hearty  wel- 
come. There  is  great  need  for  full  and  thoughtful 
preparation  for  this  work.  The  teacher  must  be  capa- 
ble, alert,  earnest,  and  consecrated;  the  student  must 
be  earnest  and  receptive. 

The  problem  of  moral  instruction  is  a  profound  one, 
and  there  can  be  no  safe  and  satisfactory  teaching  that 
A  does  not  take  into  account  the  largeness  of 

Profound  the  question  to  be  considered.  The  best 
Problem,  thinkers  of  all  ages  have  dealt  with  some  of 
these  questions  which  must  be  considered  in  the  moral 
training  of  the  young.  They  are  not  only  profound 
and  varied,  covering  every  range  of  interest  and  dealing 
with  the  knowledge,  the  thought,  and  the  life  of  many 
lands,  but  many  of  these  truths  are  expressed  in  terms 
of  a  particular  land  that  is  characterised  by  imagery 
and  stories  and  an  abundance  of  feeling  which  is  almost 
unknown  to  those  who  have  been  trained  in  our  cold 
Western  life.  The  Bible  is  a  great  Oriental  book.  It 
is  full  of  history,  literature,  poetry,  and  song,  and  the 
man  who  would  teach  its  lessons  and  impress  its  truths 
must  know  something  of  its  origin,  of  its  authority,  of 
the  lands,  manners,  customs,  and  institutions  belonging 
to  a  civilisation  radically  unlike  our  own.  Beyond  all 
that,  he  must  have  incorporated  into  his  life  the  spirit 
of  that  book  which  is  so  deeply  permeated  by  ethical 
and  religious  considerations.  He  must  know  Hebrew 
poetry,  morals,  and  jurisprudence,  he  must  needs  under- 


The  Teacher  s  Preparation          89 

stand  the  history  of  those  times  and  the  gradual  un- 
folding of  the  religious  ideas  in  the  childhood  of  that 
race  that  was  seeking  after  God.  Better  than  all  this, 
he  needs  to  know  the  life  of  Christ,  the  moral  expert, 
the  master  teacher,  the  divine  man  who  came  to  teach 
that  truth  which  should  make  men  free.  The  teacher 
needs  to  know  the  higher  class  of  literature  which  deals 
with  soul,  thought,  and  action.  He  needs  to  under- 
stand the  choice  stories  and  beautiful  poems  that  reflect 
the  best  religious  thought  of  the  ages  past  and  present. 


Why  mourn  above  some  broken  flaw 
In  the  stone  tables  of  the  law, 
When  scripture  every  day  afresh 
Is  traced  on  tablets  of  the  flesh  ? 

WHITTIER. 


Jesus  never  wrote  a  book,  yet  about  him  there  have 
been  written  more  books  than  about  any  other  being 
who  ever  lived.  Some  of  these  the  teacher  God  has 

needs  to  know.    Jesus  never  painted  a  pic-       not  Left 

himself 
ture,  but  more  pictures  have  been  painted       without 

of  him  than  of  any  other  who  ever  lived;  he  Testimony, 
has  spoken  to  the  hearts  of  hundreds,  and  the  canvas 
glows  with  their  thought  of  Christ,  the  child,  the  man, 
the  sufferer,  or  the  king.  But  it  is  not  enough  that 
the  teacher  should  know  the  history  of  the  past  with 
all  the  lessons  that  the  rich  heritage  brings  to  our  time 
and  people;  he  must  know  the  conditions  of  to-day; 
he  must  understand  something  of  the  trades  and 


90  Up  Through  Childhood 

occupations  which  to-day  make  demands  upon  the 
children  of  men;  he  must  realise  that  lessons,  deep  and 
fine,  in  character,  life,  and  conduct  are  wrought  out 
here  and  now,  and  that  the  Spirit  is  teaching  every  day 
new  lessons  of  God's  love  to  human  kind. 

New  occasions  teach  new  duties ;  Time  makes  ancient  good 

uncouth  ; 
They  must  upward  still,  and  onward,  who  would  keep  abreast 

of  Truth; 
I/o,  before  us  gleam  her  camp-fires !   we  ourselves  must  Pil- 

grim3  be, 
Launch  our  Mayflower,  and  steer  boldly  through  the  desperate 

winter  sea, 
Nor  attempt  the  Future's  portal  with  the  Past's  blood-rusted 

key. 

LOWEU,. 

He  must  realise  that  temptations  and  inspirations  are 
on  every  hand  besieging  the  growing  youth,  like  an 
ancient  castle  stormed  in  time  of  war.  In  a  word,  he 
must  understand  our  complex  and  throbbing  modern 
life,  thrilling  with  a  thousand  forces  which  the  world's 
teachers  to-day  have  failed  to  recognise.  Knowing  all 
these  things,  he  must  understand  something  of  the 
principles  of  education,  of  the  great  laws  which  govern 
minds  in  general,  and  the  interests  which  rule  in  the 
mind  of  each  child  in  particular.  He  must  know 
something  of  the  practices  of  those  who  are  masters  in 
the  art  of  teaching,  he  must  be  able  to  understand  how 
they  touch  the  secret  springs  of  thought  and  action  and 
impress  upon  the  teachable  child  lessons  that  are  to 
abide  to  the  eternities. 


The  Teacher's  Preparation          91 

But  how  can  all  these  things  be  ?  The  will  makes 
the  way.  With  open  heart  and  ready  mind  and  the 
intelligent  use  of  some  of  the  Bible  helps  How  to 
which  are  so  easily  accessible  to-day,  the  Learn 
teacher  may  be  able  to  gain  large  insight  How' 

into,  and  a  fair  mastery  of,  the  Bible  thoughts  and 
teachings.  There  is  no  preparation  like  the  preparation 
that  is  made  with  a  definite  purpose,  and  he  will  be 
astonished  at  the  speed  with  which  his  knowledge  in- 
creases, with  the  growth  of  his  thought,  and  the  rich- 
ness of  his  experience,  when  he  sets  out  to  master 
these  things  for  the  great  end  of  ministering  to  the 
growing  human  soul.  With  meditation,  with  prayer, 
with  opening  the  soul  toward  heaven,  he  will  come  to 
understand  the  life  of  that  One  who  taught  the  deepest 
and  finest  lessons  while  he  lived  the  faultless  life  among 
men. 

Then  there  is  the  range  of  history,  not  alone  in  the 
days  gone  by,  but  here  and  now.  In  the  history  of  our 
own  nation,  there  have  been  events  as  mar-  God  in 
vellous  in  their  nature  and  as  far-reaching  our 

in  their  effects  as  the  remarkable  things  History, 
written  in  Bible  history.  There  were  a  score  of  inci- 
dents in  the  Revolutionary  War  in  which  the  reverent 
mind  can  see  the  hand  of  God,  and  which,  if  written 
up  in  biblical  style,  would  seem  to  the  child's  mind  as 
truly  evidences  of  the  divine  action  as  the  wonders  re- 
corded in  the  Old  Testament.  We  are  coming  to  realise 
more  and  more  that  revelation  is  not  static  but  dynamic; 


92  Up  Through  Childhood 

that  is,  that  the  spiritual  forces  are  continually  active, 
and  that  God's  revelation  of  himself  never  ceases. 
History  is  full  of  the  revelations  of  the  Divine. 


"  Yet  I  doubt  not  thro'  the  ages  one  increasing  purpose  runs, 
And  the  thoughts  of  men  are  widened  with  the  process  of 
the  suns." 


The  best  thought  of  the  best  minds  has  been  written 
in  ages  past,  and  we  call  this  product  literature.     Scores 

of  fine  characters  have  been  portrayed  in  a 
Literature  .  . 

and  Art        wav  to   touc"   the  ready   spint   and   open 

minds  of  the  young.  Choice  poems,  mar- 
vellous and  beautiful  in  character,  have  sprung  from 
the  poet's  soul  to  inspire,  elevate,  and  quicken  the 
seeking  mind;  pictures  have  come  into  being  at  the 
touch  of  the  painter's  brush  with  their  impressive  les- 
sons; and  truly  never  can  he  who  would  teach  the 
Word  of  Life,  and  who  would  recognise  the  divine  truth 
of  life,  neglect  these  sources  of  persuasion  which  woo 
the  soul  to  God. 

The  study  of   teachers'  books  and  the  literature 
covering  the  whole  range  of  adaptation  to  environment 

and  equipment  for  modern  life  will  offer  an 
Books  abundance  of  suggestive  and  helpful  things. 

Such  a  study  of  psychology,  in  its  simpler 
forms,  as  will  give  a  basis  for  this  work  may  well  be  un- 
dertaken by  the  earnest  and  ambitious  religious  teacher 
who  has  a  fair  English  education.  There  is  now  such  an 
abundance  of  excellent  material  on  different  phases  of 


UNIVL 

o  r 

^  ^ttc^Teacher's  Preparation          93 

mental  life,  that  the  question  is  not  so  much  to  find 
something  which  will  help  the  teacher,  as  to  choose 
most  wisely  from  the  numerous  books  which  offer.  But 
there  is  a  psychology  which  is  better  than  that  which 
is  found  in  books;  in  this  the  powers  to  see  and  to  think 
are  the  chief  requirements.  It  is  such  psychology  as 
we  practise  to  a  greater  or  less  extent  every  day  of  our 
lives.  It  is  that  careful,  thoughtful  study  of  children 
and  young  people  which  enables  the  teacher  to  inter- 
pret the  actions,  motives,  and  moods  of  childhood. 
The  first  condition  for  gaining  this  sensible  and  ready 
knowledge  of  the  child  is  simple  human  interest.  The 
teacher  must  love  the  child;  and  the  love  must  be  in- 
stinctive and  sincere. 

This  study  may  be  greatly  advanced  by  reading  the 
better  class  of  children's  books.  These,  when  true  to 
nature,  are  superb  interpreters  of  the  child  How  to 
mind.  A  large  part  of  Dream  Life  brings  Study 
the  reader  in  touch  with  the  very  thoughts,  Children- 
plans,  and  impulses  of  the  boy's  nature.  So  with  parts 
of  Arthur  Bonnicastle,  and  some  of  the  chapters  in 
Ho  wells' s  A  Boy's  Town.  Not  a  few  of  the  best 
novels  have  an  abundance  of  material  which  is  the  very 
choicest  psychology.  It  has  long  seemed  to  me  that  a 
discriminating  study  of  the  psychology  of  literature 
might  contribute  greatly  to  this  problem.  Then  there 
are  the  many  stories  which  children  like.  To  read 
these  appreciatively  and  carefully  will  do  much  to  bring 
one  in  touch  with  childhood  and  with  youth.  A  good 


94  Up  Through  Childhood 

course  of  reading  in  The  Youth 's  Companion  or  any 
other  high-class  paper  for  the  young  will  go  far  to  give 
the  teacher  the  point  of  view  which  is  so  necessary  in 
dealing  with  the  young. 

Other  light  will  come  by  mingling  in  their  play  and 
noticing  them  in  their  games.  Associating  in  their 
sports  and  with  their  companions  always  presupposes 
on  the  part  of  the  teacher  a  sincere  sympathetic  inter- 
est. Then  there  is  such  a  thing  as  a  deep  and  true 
friendship  between  an  adult  and  a  child,  and  as  the 
teacher  gains  the  friendship  of  one  child  easy  to  win 
and  easy  to  understand,  he  can  make  that  the  means 
of  explaining  to  himself  many  other  children;  but  he 
must  never  forget  that  the  heart  is  the  best  teacher. 
The  multitude  heard  Jesus  gladly;  they  were  attracted 
by  him;  the  great  heart  of  the  man,  the  sympathy,  the 
love,  the  insight,  the  tenderness,  the  newness  and 
freshness  of  his  thought  and  hope  appealed  strongly  to 
them.  Just  as  truly  did  the  multitude  attract  him,  and, 
by  the  ready  response  which  they  found  in  his  heart, 
called  forth  from  him  for  themselves  the  richest  and 
best  that  his  fine  and  true  nature  dared  to  offer  to  them 
as  they  were.  Jesus  could  not  always  tell  the  multi- 
tude what  he  wished  to  tell  them;  he  could  not  always 
teach  his  disciples  the  deepest  and  finest  lessons, — he 
knew  that  they  were  not  ready;  and  I  have  sometimes 
thought  that  when  a  teacher  finds  it  hard  to  enter  into 
the  confidence  of  a  child,  the  reason  is  the  same  that 
was  spoken  by  Christ  of  old.  The  child  instinct- 


The  Teacher's  Preparation         95 

ively  knows  what  is  in  the  teacher's  heart,  and  dares 
not  trust  himself  to  him.  How  noble  and  genuine  the 
teacher  ought  to  be!  We  must  use  the  material  we 
have.  These  ideals  of  preparation  are  high;  not  all 
teachers  have  mind  or  time  or  strength  to  attain  them; 
but  however  high  the  ideals  which  one  ought  to  set  in 
this  work,  it  must  remain  true  for  many  years  that  the 
greater  part  of  the  Sunday-school  teaching  in  this 
country  will  be  done  by  people  who  have  made  but 
little  preparation  for  this  work.  Anything  that  can 
help  them  toward  a  more  complete  equipment  should 
be  heartily  welcomed.  With  hope  of  rendering  some 
service  in  this  direction  I  have  stated  some  of  the  ways 
that  may  be  found  helpful  in  general  preparation;  but 
it  must  be  kept  in  mind  that  the  local  conditions  will 
determine  what  shall  be  done.  In  one  community, 
great  things  are  possible;  in  another,  less  pretentious 
efforts  will  succeed.  It  all  settles  itself  to  the  question 
of  getting  the  people  to  take  the  training  best  in  kind 
and  highest  in  amount  that  they  will  receive.  Men 
and  women  are  very  slow  to  take  what  they  need,  and 
this  is  more  true  of  the  ignorant  than  of  the  educated. 
After  all,  the  spirit  in  which  teachers  undertake  and 
carry  on  the  work  of  instruction  will  determine  the  de- 
gree of  success  which  is  possible  to  them. 

It  is  certain  that  every  teacher  ought  to  have  a  kind 
of  stock  in  trade  which  may  be  made  available  for  his 
students.  One  teacher  in  the  school  may  be  induced 
to  give  himself  with  care  and  consecration  to  the 


96  Up  Through  Childhood 

study  of  literature,  noting  for  the  good  of  all  such  selec- 
tions in  prose  and  verse  as  may  be  specially  helpful  for 

the  work  the  school  is  trying  to  do.  An- 
The  Stock  .,  ,  ,  .  «r  *  T  «  i.  «O-A 

in  Trade      otner  mav  devote  himself  to  Jewish  history 

and  Jewish  law,  to  the  doctrines  of  the  Jew- 
ish Church,  or  to  the  customs,  manners,  and  geography 
of  Palestine.  Another  with  a  philosophic  mind  may 
turn  his  attention  to  ethics  among  the  Jews,  and  to 
some  consideration  of  their  answer  to  life's  questions. 
Another  may  give  attention  to  the  history  of  the  Bible, 
and  to  the  history  of  the  different  branches  of  the 
Christian  Church  through  the  ages.  Every  commun- 
ity has  teachers  who  are  interested  to  a  greater  or 
less  degree  in  the  literature  pertaining  to  their  calling, 
and  they  may  be  able  to  suggest  satisfactory  books 
or  to  give  helpful  thoughts  on  the  general  practice  of 
teaching.  The  study  of  children's  books  is  no  mean 
element  in  a  teacher's  equipment,  and  the  great  mul- 
tiplication of  libraries  in  these  days  promises  to  make 
that  a  means  within  the  reach  of  almost  any  teacher. 

In  the  heart  of  every  child  there  is  a  play  instinct,  and 
the  teacher  who  would  keep  his  youth  and  joy  and  zest 
for  life,  will  gain  more  than  all  these  things  if  he  will 
enter  heartily  into  the  play-life  of  the  children.  Of 
course  there  is  great  need  for  that  kind  of  imagination 
which  appreciates  child  life,  and  makes  one  able  to  look 
at  things  from  the  child's  standpoint.  Then  the  teacher 
must  be  able  to  see  something  of  the  possibilities  of  the 
child.  No  young  life  can  seem  mean  or  low  or  unat- 


The  Teacher's  Preparation          97 

tractive  to  the  imagination  that  recognises  its  possibili- 
ties, and  can  see  some  hope  of  their  fulfilment.  It  is 
the  fundamental  law  of  being  interesting  to  children, 
and  being  interested  by  them.  But  all  these  things  I 
have  said  apply  to  individuals  and  to  individual  work.  . 
Now  any  church  with  the  right  kind  of  enterprise  will 
plan  definitely  for  the  cultivation  of  a  teaching  corps. 
Even  in  very  humble  districts  it  will  be  possible  to  pro- 
vide for  short  courses  of  lectures,  or  terms  of  six  lessons 
each,  on  topics  that  will  contribute  to  the  general  in- 
telligence and  special  preparation  of  the  teacher  and 
young  people.  One  of  the  quickest  and  best  ways  to 
insure  a  knowledge  of  the  geography  of  Palestine  is  to 
be  found  in  the  use  of  lantern  slides.  These  can  make 
the  land  real  to  the  whole  community  as  nothing  else 
can  do.  In  this  direction  lies  the  advantage  to  be 
found  in  the  pictures  that  are  now  to  be  had  from 
numerous  publishers  at  the  price  of  a  penny  each. 
These  may  be  pasted,  in  proper  order,  into  scrap-books, 
and  will  serve  as  a  means  of  illuminating  a  whole 
period  to  be  studied.  One  hardly  knows  where  to  stop 
in  making  suggestions  for  this  kind  of  work.  But 
almost  without  exception  a  great  deal  more  can  be  done 
than  has  been  done,  and  a  great  deal  more  that  will  be 
of  high  value.  The  kind  of  teaching  that  makes  strong 
teachers  is  not  that  which  comes  from  lectures,  but  that 
which  furnishes  abundant  work  for  each  of  the  teachers 
to  do  for  himself. 

One  of  the  most  thoughtful  and  earnest  teachers  in  a 


9&  Up  Through  Childhood 

Sunday-school  ought  to  have  charge  of  a  bright,  strong 
class  of  young  people,  who  from  Sunday  to  Sunday 

could  study  the  things  that  will  directly 
Teachers'  prepare  them  for  their  work  as  teachers. 
Training  it  is  often  urged  that  they  will  go  away 

to  school  or  to  business  and  that  the  com- 
munity will  lose  their  services.  True  enough.  But 
the  leaven  is  carried  wisely  and  widely,  and  there  is  no 
kind  of  doubt  that  with  the  larger  view  the  work 
abundantly  pays  for  itself.  And  when  this  kind  of 
work  becomes  general  the  Sunday-school  teaching  of 
our  whole  country  will  be  mightily  lifted  up.  There 
is  altogether  too  much  time  idled  away  on  the  ordinary 
stereotyped  Sunday-school  lesson.  The  boys  and  girls 
in  this  age  need  to  be  doing  something  that  is  worth 
while,  and  they  may  as  well  be  storing  their  minds 
with  material  which  a  little  later  will  be  of  value  if 
they  are  called  to  the  work  of  teaching. 

The  whole  question  of  better  teaching  hinges  upon 
the  general  intelligence  of  the  community.  There  is 
no  need  for  the  Sunday-school  to  duplicate  work  already 
done  in  other  quarters.  ITS  GREAT  OFFICE  is  TO  SPIR- 
ITUAUSE  THE  ACTIVITIES  OF  UFE.  Education  should 
be  made  one  of  the  permanent  interests  of  life.  Not  the 
irregular  indefinite  education  which  no  man  can  escape, 
but  a  well  planned,  carefully  worked-out  scheme  for  im- 
provement. Men  and  women  everywhere  need  to  be 
more  than  they  are,  in  order  that  they  may  do  more; 
there  must  come  to  them  personal  power  and  mastery  of 


The  Teacher's  Preparation          99 

spirit,  in  order  that  their  influence  may  be  more  effect- 
ive. Let  no  reader  be  discouraged  in  this  work.  He 
may  be  disappointed  for  a  time,  but  there  is  no  other 
way  except  to  begin  just  where  the  people  are,  and  as 
patiently  and  earnestly  and  perseveringly  as  possible 
to  lead  them  to  new  attainments.  The  world  is  sweep- 
ing into  the  light,  but  one  man's  life  is  only  a  grain 
of  sand  in  the  great  glass  of  time. 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE  TEACHER  AND  THE  BIBI.E 

THE  man  who  would  teach  must  be  open-minded; 
he  must  welcome  truth  from  all  climes,  and  with  fine 
The  discrimination  select  that  best  fitted  to  his 

Open  own  use  and  purposes.     There  is  nothing  so 

Mind.  fataj  to  human  character  as  a  determination 
not  to  see  the  truth.  This  state  of  mind  foredooms 
every  question  examined  to  a  false  consideration,  and 
makes  of  no  effect  either  much  time  or  much  study. 
Prejudice  seems  to  permeate  every  sphere  of  life,  and 
only  a  chosen  few  with  large  insight  and  tender  love, 
and  a  faith  which  believes  that  the  heavenly  Father 
rules,  are  able  to  receive  truth  in  unwelcome  guise. 
So  general  is  prejudice  in  political  life  that  a  man's 
political  belief  may  be  declared  by  knowing  his  sur- 
roundings. Society  too  has  its  petty  ideas  and  whim- 
sical prejudices  founded  on  what  was  once  of  real  worth 
but  is  to-day  of  no  value.  Religion  has  many  survivals 
of  a  culture  older  and  less  pure  than  our  own.  There 
should  be  no  iron-clad  law  of  interpretation;  there  is 
only  one  supreme  quest,  it  is  the  quest  of  truth.  God 
is  steadily  revealing  himself  to  the  children  of  men. 

100 


The  Teacher  and  the  Bible        101 

We  are  in  the  midst  of  this  great  revelation,  and  some- 
times are  so  near  its  mighty  manifestations  that  we 
cannot  recognise  the  outline,  but  it  is  there.  The 
whole  world  tingles  with  the  Divine.  Every  common 
bush  is  aflame,  and  for  him  who  can  see,  there  is  life, 
light,  and  beauty  too  great  to  be  imprisoned  in  any 
creed.  God's  law  and  God's  word  are  one  truth,  and 
if  sometimes  they  seem  to  contradict  each  other,  it  is 
only  because  we  have  not  understood  aright.  If  those 
men  who  build  a  wall  of  defence  about  the  Bible  would 
spend  a  little  more  time  teaching  its  truth,  the  world 
would  be  better,  and  they  would  be  busy  to  a  better 
end.  Some  of  their  unchangeable  explanations  of 
eternal  truth  remind  me  of  the  profitless  work  of  a 
Russian  soldier:  the  life  has  gone  beyond  the  point 
they  are  guarding. 

A  Russian  princess  at  the  window  of  the  palace  saw 
a  soldier  pacing  back  and  forth  in  the  middle  of  the 
courtyard,  without  any  apparent  reason  for  A 

his  course.  She  asked  her  governess  why  Useless 
he  was  there;  she  did  not  know.  A  page  Labour, 
was  called;  he  did  not  know.  An  officer  was  called 
from  the  hall,  and  yet  no  satisfaction.  When  the  mat- 
ter was  at  last  referred  to  the  commanding  general,  he 
knew  no  more  than  any  of  the  others,  but  in  examining 
the  records  found  that,  thirty  years  before,  a  soldier  had 
been  ordered  to  pace  this  beat  to  guard  a  little  snow- 
drop which  an  earlier  princess  in  her  girlhood  had  seen 
and  loved.  The  flower  had  perished,  but  the  order 


102          Up  Through  Childhood 

remained,  and  back  and  forth  the  sentry  travelled  for 
years  to  guard  a  bit  of  life  which  could  no  longer  profit 
by  his  care. 

Every  man  interprets  God  in  the  light  of  his  own 
best  experience  and  present  knowledge;  and  as  these 
equipments  are  not  the  same  in  any  two  men,  their 
ideas  of  God  and  of  his  work  cannot  possibly  be  the 
same.  If  there  are  five  hundred  members  in  a  Sunday- 
school,  there  will  be  five  hundred  different  ideas  of  God 
and  of  general  religious  truth,  provided  these  five  hun- 
dred people  have  really  thought  for  themselves.  This 
is  not  true  alone  of  the  Bible,  but  of  all  things.  Men 
may  be  divided  into  general  classes,  as  conservatives 
and  radicals;  but  when  it  comes  to  the  individual  inter- 
pretation of  great  principles,  and  the  solution  of  those 
questions  which  concern  a  man's  relation  to  duty,  God, 
and  immortality,  every  man  will  seek  for  himself  the 
deepest  and  best  interpretation  that  his  knowledge  and 
his  experience  can  supply.  But  we  are  not  without 
guidance,  and  "  a  highway  shall  be  there,  and  a  way, 
and  it  shall  be  called  the  way  of  holiness;  the  way- 
faring men,  though  fools,  shall  not  err  therein. ' ' 

One  may  see  truth  as  a  scientist,  and  desire  to  test 
it  with  compound  microscope,  with  scalpel,  or  with 
Truth  is  chemical  reagents;  he  may  see  it  as  a  poet, 
Many-  and  feel  that  it  is  not  truth  unless  expressed 
Sided.  jn  forms  Of  beauty;  he  may  see  it  as  a  his- 
torian, and  be  unable  to  recognise  it  as  truth  unless 
stated  in  the  terms  of  human  experience;  but  he  of  the 


The  Teacher  and  the  Bible        103 

broadest  mind  will  be  able  to  recognise  truth  whether 
presented  as  to  the  scientist,  to  the  poet,  or  to  the 
historian. 

A  variety  of  interpretations  will  commend  them- 
selves, some  to  one  man,  and  others  to  another.  Some 
forms  are  doubtless  better  for  all  men  than  Many 

are  others;  but  whatever  interpretation  may      Roads  to 

T«-    bV* 

be  given,  who  can  doubt  that  the  Bible  con- 
tains enough  of  living  truth  for  any  man's  salvation? 
Whoever  comes  to  it  with  ready  mind  and  reverent 
heart  shall  find  there  the  highest  and  best  that  his  life 
seeks.  Woe  to  him  who  would  deny  his  brother  man 
God's  comfort,  come  how  it  may!  It  is  hard  to  have 
patience  with  either  the  mind  or  the  heart  of  the  man 
who  announces  that  he  has  the  only  method  of  scrip- 
tural interpretation,  and  that  his  brother,  who  sees 
truth  in  a  different  light,  is  either  false  or  foolish. 
God  has  not  left  himself  with  witnesses  so  few  in  this 
wide  world  of  ours  that  he  must  call  upon  any  one  man 
to  stand  for  the  truth.  In  his  holy  word  are  written 
learning,  love,  and  life;  but  all  these  are  also  written 
in  nature,  in  our  throbbing  civilisation,  and  more  than 
all  in  the  great  heart  of  man! 

It  is  hard  for  religious  teachers  to  realise  how  far 
freedom  of  thought  has  been  restricted  in  The 

their  field.     So  generally  is  this  recognised 
that  it  is  customary  to  say  of  any  religious          should 
teacher  that  he  is  a  special  pleader;  and  it       be  Free, 
is  a  notorious  fact  that  when  a  minister  begins  his 


104          Up  Through  Childhood 

sermon  on  any  given  topic  with  the  declared  purpose 
of  investigating  it,  any  fairly  intelligent  hearer  with  a 
knowledge  of  the  minister's  faith  and  training  is  able 
to  predict  where  he  will  come  out.  This  will  not  do. 
There  is  no  test  higher  than  the  test  of  truth,  and  no 
honesty  more  noble  than  honesty  to  one's  own  thought. 

"  To  thine  own  self  be  true  ; 
And  it  must  follow  as  the  night  the  day, 
Thou  canst  not  then  be  false  to  any  man." 

For  the  religious  teacher  who  comes  reverently  into 
the  castle  of  truth  to  seek  the  best  things,  with  a  de- 
termination to  know  the  truth  at  all  cost,  there  is  no 
praise  too  high,  and  no  approval  too  emphatic. 

The  truth  in  every  age  must  be  recast,  not  that  it 
necessarily  comes  into  better  form  than  in  the  age  pre- 

ceding, but  because  each  age  will  speak  its 
Old 
Truth  in      own  language.     No  amount  of  blindness  on 

New  the  part  of  the  Church  and  no  amount  of 

prejudice  on  the  part  of  her  ministers  will 
make  any  age  long  turn  aside  from  this  law  of  its  life 
and  progress. 

God  has  not  left  himself  without  witnesses,  and  if 
every  book  in  the  world  were  to  be  burned,  still  the 

struggling  hearts  of  those  who  have  known 
The  Real 
Record        nim  would  proclaim  an  almighty,  tender, 


of  the  and  loving  Father,  with  the  great  doctrine 

of  sacrifice  and   salvation,   and   the   world 

would  go  on  to  enrich  its  spiritual  life  from  age  to  age. 


The  Teacher  and  the  Bible        105 

'  *  There  is  religion  in  everything  around  us — a  calm 
and  holy  religion  in  the  unbreathing  things  of  nature 
which  man  would  do  well  to  imitate.  It  is  a  meek 
and  blessed  influence,  stealing  in,  as  it  were,  unawares 
upon  the  heart;  it  comes  quietly  and  without  excite- 
ment; it  has  no  terror,  no  gloom,  in  its  approaches;  it 
does  not  rouse  up  the  passions;  it  is  untrammelled  by 
the  creeds,  and  unshadowed  by  the  superstitions,  of 
man;  it  is  fresh  from  the  hands  of  its  Author,  glowing 
from  the  immediate  presence  of  the  Great  Spirit,  which 
pervades  and  quickens  it;  it  is  written  on  the  arched 
sky;  it  looks  out  from  every  star;  it  is  on  the  sailing 
cloud  and  in  the  invisible  wind;  it  is  among  the  hills 
and  valleys  of  the  earth,  where  the  shrubless  mountain- 
top  pierces  the  thin  atmosphere  of  eternal  winter,  or 
where  the  mighty  forest  fluctuates  before  the  strong 
wind  with  its  dark  waves  of  green  foliage;  it  is  spread 
out,  like  a  legible  language,  upon  the  broad  face  of  the 
unsleeping  ocean;  it  is  the  poetry  of  nature;  it  is  this 
which  uplifts  the  spirit  within  us  until  it  is  strong 
enough  to  overlook  the  shadows  of  our  place  of 
probation;  which  breaks,  link  after  link,  the  chain 
that  binds  us  to  materiality;  and  which  opens  to  our 
imagination  a  world  of  spiritual  beauty  and  holiness." 
— RUSKIN. 

Nature  teaches  wonderful  and  beautiful  lessons  of  re- 
ligion to  the  clear-seeing  reverent  soul,  but  even  Ruskin, 
the  master,  could  see  its  beauty  all  the  better  because 
he  had  known  the  Bible  from  childhood.  For  most 


io6          Up  Through  Childhood 

men  the  Bible  is  itself  the  truth  of  God  and  the  inter- 
preter of  nature. 

The  Bible  is  a  great  Oriental  book,  full  of  local 

colour,  full  of  the  extravagances  and  peculiarities  of 

Oriental  life;    in    some    respects,   hard  to 

[?*  understand,  especially  if  interpreted  in  the 

Bible. 

cold  and  narrow  spirit  of  our  self-contained 

life;  but  luminous  with  meaning  and  full  of  inspiration, 
if  interpreted  with  the  warmth,  life,  and  glow  of  the 
Oriental  imagination. 

It  is  a  library  of  sixty-six  books,  brought  together 
by  action  of  a  council  of  learned  and  spiritual  men. 
The  These  books  represent  many  writers  from 

Bible  a  many  sections.  They  cover  a  period  of 
Library.  more  than  fifteen  hundred  years,  and  give 
us  pictures  from  a  long  stretch  of  the  world's  history. 
The  Bible  is  a  picture  of  the  times  in  which  its  writers 
lived.  It  gives  good  and  bad  with  singular  frankness 
and  directness.  Matthew  Arnold  said:  "  There  is  one 
English  book,  and  only  one,  which,  like  the  Iliad,  has 
perfect  plainness  of  speech,  allied  with  perfect  noble- 
ness, and  that  book  is  the  Bible."  This  book  is  a 
progressive  revelation,  a  marvellous  story  of  the  way  by 
which  the  Divine  has  been  unfolding  himself  to  the 
poor,  blind,  halting  children  of  men.  We  see  how 
dimly  they  perceived  the  great  power  of  the  Infinite 
Good,  and  how  poorly  they  were  able  to  realise  it  as  it 
unfolded  little  by  little  the  great  plans  and  processes 
which  were  to  make  man  a  partaker  of  the  divine 


The  Teacher  and  the  Bible        107 

nature.  The  Bible  is  a  book  of  great  thoughts.  In  it  are 
considered  the  great  questions  of  human  destiny,  the 
burdens  of  human  duty,  the  thought  of  a  life  beyond 
the  grave,  the  conception  of  God  ruling,  guiding,  and 
determining  all. 

"  Chemistry  never  silenced  a  guilty  conscience. 
Mathematics  never  healed  a  broken  heart.  All  the 
sciences  in  the  world  never  smoothed  down  a  dying 
pillow.  No  earthly  philosophy  ever  supplied  hope  in 
death.  No  natural  theology  ever  gave  peace  in  the 
prospect  of  meeting  a  holy  God." — RYI<E. 

These  things  the  Bible  has  done  for  thousands,  and 
will  do  for  generations  yet  unborn. 

If  man  will  go  deep  enough,  he  will  find  there  lessons 
as  profound,  as  true,  and  as  far-reaching  as  eternity. 
It  has  hope  for  the  sinner,  comfort  for  the  It  Is  a 
sorrowing,  cheer  for  the  dying,  and  inspira-  Book  of 
tion  for  the  hero.  It  has  wrought  itself  into  InsPiration- 
the  life  of  our  people  with  a  depth  and  a  strength  and 
a  fervency  that  mean  more  than  we  can  measure.  The 
clear  and  musical  speech  of  King  James's  Version  has 
been  hidden  in  many  hearts,  and  ever  and  anon  there 
springs  a  flower  where  we  had  thought  to  find  a  weed, 
and  there  sounds  a  note  of  joy  where  we  had  expected 
a  sigh  of  pain.  How  varied,  rich,  and  wonderful  is 
this  great  book! 


CHAPTER  VIII 
THE  TEACHER  AND  THE  CHII.D 

WHII,E  requiring  the  same  general  characteristics, 
there  are  some  important  points  of  difference  in  the  re- 
lations of  the  teacher  when  he  deals  with  the 
Relations     individual  child  and  when  he  appears  before 
his  class.     For  each  of  these  relations  the 
teacher  must  have  the  seven  elements  named  in  the 
character  efficient  for  good:   love,   honesty,    insight, 
open-mindedness,  courage,   perseverance,    knowledge. 
Besides  these,  he  must  have  sympathy,  patience,  and 
aptness  to  teach. 

The  first  great  need  is  sympathy;  sympathy  with 
childhood  in  general  and  with  each  individual  child 
with  whom  he  deals;  no  teacher  can  suc- 
y*  cessfully  instruct  or  inspire  the  child  in  the 
best  things  without  this  bond  of  relationship.  It  is 
here  that  the  imagination  comes  in  as  a  great  factor. 
"  Put  yourself  in  his  place"  is  the  dictum  of  interpre- 
tation for  the  teacher  in  dealing  with  childhood,  as  it 
is  for  man  everywhere  with  his  fellow.  The  difficult 
thing  is  for  the  teacher  to  get  the  child's  point  of 
view. 

108 


The  Teacher  and  the  Child       109 

All  successful  work  in  the  realm  of  the  spirit  is 
marked  by  tender  sympathy  and  rare  and  deep  insight. 
One  is  often  surprised  that  men  whose  spirits  are  fine 
and  noble  in  most  respects  are  so  willing  to  wound 
those  they  love;  and  it  almost  always  turns  out  that 
this  course  of  behaviour  is  due  to  want  of  insight.  In- 
sight makes  us  able  to  see  the  possibilities  of  the  one 
we  would  help,  and  likewise  his  limitations.  There  is 
a  whole  range  of  things  that  every  man  is  not  able  to 
do;  the  only  difference  is,  they  are  different  things  in 
different  people.  The  sooner  the  teacher  comes  to 
recognise  this  state  of  affairs,  the  more  successful  his 
work  will  be  and  the  happier  he  will  be  in  doing  it. 
How  large  a  share  of  the  world's  work  is  misdirected 
because  those  who  labour  cannot  see  that  their  work 
must  in  the  nature  of  things  come  to  naught !  If  it  is 
true  in  general  in  the  world's  work,  it  is  many  times 
true  in  religious  work.  It  is  a  pity  that  so  many 
earnest  and  energetic  souls  with  slight  knowledge 
have  adopted  as  a  kind  of  motto  for  themselves  "  Put 
forth  abundant  effort  and  trust  that  all  will  come  out 
well."  Such  a  doctrine  is  slip-shod  and  foolish  and 
vicious,  and  though  some  good  may  come  of  it,  there 
is  no  hope  that  it  will  gain  results  at  all  in  proportion 
to  the  effort  expended.  In  all  religious  work  there  is 
need  for  the  same  patient,  earnest,  well-directed,  com- 
mon-sense effort  that  other  lines  of  activity  pitilessly 
require. 

There  is  no  calling  in  the  world  which  makes  upon 


i  io          Up  Through  Childhood 

its  followers  a  greater  demand  for  patience  than  that 
of  teaching.  Many  of  the  minor  aims  in  teaching 

may  be  wrought  out   in   a   comparatively 
Patience. 

short  time,  and  there  is  much  satisfaction  in 

the  quick  results;  but  there  is  no  blinding  one's  self  to 
the  fact  that  for  the  large  aim  of  character  there  must 
be  not  only  a  faith  that  fails  not  but  a  patience  that 
is  never  weary. 

In  its  best  aspects,  love  is  a  great,  noble,  and  beautiful 
gift;  but  there  is  a  love  that  is  blind,  selfish,  narrow, 
Love  anc^  mean-  Many  a  father  who  loves  his 

Gives  child,  and  now  and  then  a  mother,  loves  so 

Patience,  blindly  and  so  foolishly  that  harm  is 
wrought;  but  the  love  of  one  who  would  teach  well  is 
the  love  that  doth  not  fail,  a  love  that  suffereth  long 
and  is  kind,  a  love  that  vaunteth  not  itself,  is  not  puffed 
up,  yea,  and  doth  not  behave  itself  unseemly. 

Given  all  the  other  qualities  which  are  usually  sup- 
posed to  be  included  in  the  teacher's  equipment,  if  he 
lacks  this  one,  nothing  will  mend  the  defect. 
t  .j.  .  The  one  who  has  this  aptness  to  teach  sees 
the  need  and  the  means  of  meeting  it,  and 
brings  these  two  together  with  the  highest  skill  and 
in  the  nick  of  time.  He  has  the  art  of  making  things 
just  right,  and,  almost  unconsciously  to  himself  and  the 
child,  knowledge  or  discipline  has  accomplished  its 
work,  and  new  and  happy  relations  are  established. 
After  we  have  made  full  allowance  for  culture  and  for 
special  training,  it  still  remains  true  that  aptness  to 


The  Teacher  and  the  Child        1 1 1 

teach  is  the  one  great  quality  which  overtowers  the 
others,  and  which  has  led  to  the  statement  that  "  the 
teacher,  like  the  poet,  is  born,  not  made."  When  na- 
ture and  grace  have  done  their  work,  and  knowledge 
has  contributed  its  share  to  the  equipment,  we  have  a 
master  teacher  who  is  both  an  artist  and  a  king. 

The  teacher  should  take  each  child  as  a  problem  for 
solution.  It  is  to  be  studied  with  every  help  which  the 
teacher  can  command.  The  question  is,  The  child 
1  *  What  forces  can  I  bring  to  bear  on  this  Is  a 

boy's  character  in  order  to  make  him  the 
best  possible  man  ?  "  or,  '  *  How  can  I  deal  with  this 
girl  in  order  to  make  her  the  best  possible  woman  ? ' ' 
This  is  a  problem  to  be  studied  with  all  the  wisdom 
and  patience  and  zeal  of  a  teacher's  nature.  It  is  a 
problem  to  be  wrought  out  with  all  patience  and  care. 
The  end  is  a  character  efficient  for  good,  and  the 
highest  character  possible  for  that  boy  or  girl. 

The  body  is  the  first  point  for  consideration,  and  on 
its  integrity,  vigour,  and  endurance  will  depend  to  a 
great  degree  the  child's  success. 

1.  How  far  can  the  body  be  made  to  sustain  and  ad- 
vance the  higher  life  ? 

2.  What  are  the  defects  of  the  body  ? 

3.  Where  is  the  weakness  that  promises  most  easily 
to  defeat  the  struggle  of  the  spirit  ? 

4.  Are  there  elements  which  will  adversely  affect  the 
child's  life,  and  in  some  fashion  undermine  high  resolve 
and  noble  endeavour  ? 


ii2          Up  Through  Childhood 

5.  What  is  the  dominant  motive  in   the  spiritual 
realm  ? 

6.  What  is  the  highest  aim  in  the  child's  life? 

7.  Does  this  aim  rule  ? 

8.  What  means  are  active  to  meet  this  end  ? 

9.  Has  he  chosen  the  best  means  ? 

10.  Does  he  persevere  ? 

11.  Does  he  get  discouraged  with  himself? 

12.  From  your  standpoint,  is  the  end  worth  the 
effort? 

13.  Does  he  live  with  a  zest  ? 

With  questions  like  these,  study  the  human  problem. 

Many  a  child  does  not  understand  himself,  and  the 
teacher  may  render  service  by  helping  him  to  study 
and  interpret  his  own  nature.  If  the  child  realises  the 
importance  of  this  study  even  in  part,  and  if  the  teacher 
takes  hold  in  a  patient,  kindly,  and  helpful  way,  the 
effort  will  be  successful,  and  the  result  gratefully  re- 
ceived by  the  child.  In  this  discussion  I  have  used 
the  word  child,  but  I  mean  just  as  truly  the  youth  or 
the  young  man  or  the  young  woman.  For  all  of  these, 
life  is  a  great  problem,  and  when  they  realise  its  signi- 
ficance, the  question  tingles  with  inspiration;  it  becomes 
the  lifetime  exercise.  The  solutions  offered  by  different 
people  to  one  human  problem  may  vary,  but  every 
careful  solution  should  have  a  certain  value.  The 
greatest  good  comes  from  studying  the  child  from  every 
point  of  view  which  a  wise  and  true  friend  may  take. 
Granted  that  all  this  has  been  done  and  that  the  teacher 


The  Teacher  and  the  Child       113 

has  been  sincere  with  himself  and  sincere  with  his 
situation,  his  solution  to  this  problem  of  character  will 
be  far  more  satisfactory  than  that  which  is  usually 
reached.  There  is  a  great  reward  which  also  comes  to 
one  who  has  the  privilege  of  taking  up  again  the  pro- 
blems of  life  and  considering  them  with  an  earnest 
young  man  or  young  woman  who  looks  upon  them  for 
the  first  time.  This  is  the  teacher's  opportunity  to 
correct  some  of  his  own  mistakes,  and  to  work  out 
again,  in  the  light  of  larger  knowledge  and  experience, 
the  problems  which  perhaps  he  did  not  solve  so  wisely 
in  his  youth.  One  of  the  highest  heritages  that  can 
come  to  a  child  is  to  have  the  sincere,  earnest  help  of  a 
true  man  or  woman,  a  real  friend  who  is  a  little  farther 
along  on  life's  pathway,  one  who  has  made  an  attempt 
at  the  solution  of  some  of  the  problems  which  throng 
the  days  of  youth.  Superintendent  Carr's  tribute  to 
the  day-school  teacher  applies  here. 

Religion  may  be  taught  by  the  example  of  the 
teacher.  "  But  what  [can  be]  compared  to  the  ex- 
ample of  a  noble  Christian  teacher — one  whose  heart  is 
in  her  work,  one  who  sees  in  every  child  the  image  of 
God  ?  With  such  a  teacher  in  the  schoolroom,  the  age 
of  miracles  has  not  yet  passed.  She  anoints  blind  eyes, 
and  lo!  they  see  new  beauties  in  earth  and  sky;  she 
unstops  deaf  ears,  and  they  hear  wonderful  harmonies; 
she  loosens  fettered  hands,  and  they  perform  deeds  of 
mercy  and  kindness.  She  touches  dumb  lips,  and 
they  break  forth  into  song.  By  a  magic  power  she  can 

8 


ii4          Up  Through  Childhood 

exorcise  evil  spirits.  She  speaks  to  the  spirit  of  lazi- 
ness, and  he  departs.  She  says  to  the  demon  of  stub- 
bornness, 'Come  out  of  him,'  and  he  comes  forth.  She 
commands  the  devil  of  lying  to  be  gone,  and  forthwith 
he  goes.  In  her  presence  the  good  in  every  child 
blossoms  and  bears  fruit.  Industry  becomes  easy  and 
pleasant,  quietness  an  everyday  affair,  and  kindness 
the  rule  of  the  school.  Such  a  teacher  becomes  the 
guide,  the  inspiration,  the  ideal  of  the  children — their 
true  guardian  angel.  She  *  lures  to  brighter  worlds 
and  leads  the  way.'  " 

Many  persons  who  can  deal  with  an  individual  lack 
the  generalship  to  marshal  a  class.  That  demand  is  a 
The  test  of  capacity.  It  requires  a  certain  large- 

Teacher      ness  of  view  and  an  ability  to  hold  many 

before  the  things  in  mind  at  the  same  time.  There 
Class. 

must    also    be  a  strong  determination  to 

carry  through  the  main  points  to  be  accomplished,  and 
such  versatility  that  one  can  change  quickly  and  eco- 
nomically from  one  line  of  action  or  interest  to  another. 
The  suggestions  which  follow  may  be  helpful  in  secur- 
ing good  results. 

Place  the  class  in  compact  form,  so  that  you  may  stand 
or  sit  in  front  of  them,  and  may  on  the  instant  meet  them 
eye  to  eye.  The  eye  is  one  of  the  greatest  means  in  gov- 
erning and  in  teaching.  The  wise  teacher  will  use  it 
much,  but  always  simply,  naturally,  and  directly.  He 
will  say  many  things  with  the  eye  which  it  is  not  wise 
to  say  with  the  lips.  It  may  speak  reproof,  encourage- 


The  Teacher  and  the  Child       115 

ment,  or  approval;  it  may  talk  to  the  one  or  to  the 
many  with  a  freedom,  a  fulness,  and  an  intensity 
which  are  quite  beyond  the  power  of  the  tongue. 

The  class  should  be  placed  if  possible  in  a  separate 
room,  in  which  there  is  an  abundance  of  air  and  light 
and  good  comfortable  seats.  The  temperature  should 
be  about  seventy  degrees  Fahrenheit,  and  the  air 
should  be  pure  and  wholesome,  and  in  some  way 
changed  often  enough  to  be  kept  in  that  condition.  It 
is  astonishing  how  much  good  physical  conditions 
make  for  order,  scholarship,  and  personal  power. 

Now,  the  teacher,  by  movement,  pause,  or  word, 
signifies  his  desire  for  the  attention  of  the  class.  With 
many  classes,  this  will  be  sufficient;  but  at  all  hazards 
he  must  insist  upon  attention,  and  must  avail  himself 
of  some  means  of  gaining  it.1 

Having  met  the  external  conditions,  the  teacher 
must  now  find  the  point  of  contact,  or,  more  wisely 
still,  he  has  found  the  point  of  contact  days  or  weeks 
before. 

There  is  always  a  leader.  Every  class  has  one  and 
sometimes  several  students  that  must  be  directly  reck- 
oned with  in  the  presentation  of  the  lesson  for  the  day. 
These  may  be  students  who  think  more  quickly  than 
the  others,  or  they  may  be  those  who,  because  of  their 
personal  charm,  vigour,  or  assertiveness,  are  inclined  to 
control  the  line  of  thought  which  the  class  is  to  take. 

Then  there  is  an  individuality  in  every  class;  it  is 
1  See  Chapter  XII. 


n6          Up  Through  Childhood 

determined  largely  by  the  character  and  taste  of  the 
one  or  two  students  who,  from  determination  or  natural 
endowment,  dominate  the  class. 

Next  after  personal  power,  the  teacker  must  make 
the  right  use  of  question,  story,  or  discussion.  With 
smaller  students,  when  first  becoming  acquainted  with 
the  class,  it  is  often  desirable  to  have  them  recite  in 
concert  phrases  and  even  sentences  and  stanzas.  This 
gives  unity  to  the  work  and  leads  the  class  to  flow  to- 
gether in  common  interest.  With  older  students,  it  is 
often  a  teacher's  best  step  to  propose  some  question 
which  is  of  general  interest,  and  get  a  pretty  full  ex- 
pression from  the  members.  If  the  question  is  one  on 
which  the  students  cannot  be  expected  to  agree,  that  is 
so  much  the  better. 

It  is  taken  for  granted  that  the  teacher  has  a  lesson 

plan,  and  that  in  this  plan  of  work  he  has  definitely 

set  before  himself  the  end  of  instruction  and 

Lesson  t^e  means  by  which  that  end  is  to  be  reached, 
Plan. 

including  pictures,  stories,  and  general  illus- 
trations. He  will  likewise  have  a  plan  for  the  devel- 
opment of  the  lesson,  and  after  putting  the  matter  in 
compact  and  usable  form,  will  emphasise  from  time 
to  time  the  large  aim  of  all  this  work  by  both  the  mat- 
ter and  the  manner  of  presentation.  He  will  not  al- 
ways permit  the  students  to  see  that  aim,  but  he  must 
himself  definitely  recognise  that  character  is  the  end. 
In  a  single  recitation  a  teacher  may  have  half  a  dozen 
different  aims  to  accomplish,  but  each  contributing  to 


The  Teacher  and  the  Child       1 1 7 

this  great  aim.  Last  but  not  least,  the  teacher  must 
deal  with  the  students  in  the  spirit  of  frankness.  If 
the  work  is  too  difficult,  he  must  be  patient  and  careful, 
and  quickly  bring  it  to  the  plane  where  it  meets  the 
need  of  the  class.  If  the  work  is  too  easy  or  too  super- 
ficial, he  must  quickly  give  it  strength  and  depth.  It 
is  a  mistake  to  think  that  any  class  cares  for  trifling 
lessons.  The  trifling  character  of  the  lessons  in  many 
Sunday-schools  goes  far  to  account  for  the  lack  of  in- 
terest and  for  the  general  shallowness  of  view  among 
its  members.  When  wisely  managed,  the  class  can  be 
induced  to  do  a  great  deal  of  strong  work  with  an 
abundance  of  good  hard  thinking.  Boys,  and  young 
men  in  particular,  welcome  that  kind  of  instruction 
which  calls  upon  them  for  the  best  thinking  of  which 
they  are  capable.  They  can  feel  themselves  grow,  and 
that  is  nature's  great  reward  for  earnest  effort.  The 
teacher  will  welcome  any  suggestion  of  real  value, 
thread  his  way  through  thoughtful  and  difficult  situa- 
tions, and  tactfully  make  all  the  exercises  of  the  class 
bend  toward  the  great  end  of  his  work — character. 


PART  III 
THE  LEARNER 


119 


CHAPTER  IX 

WHAT  IS  MAN? 

WHAT  is  man  ?    This  is  the  question  for 
every  age. 

In  the  language  of  chemistry,  he  is  a 
shovelful  of  earth  and  a  bucketful  of  water. 

In  the  language  of  physics,  he  is  a  wonderful 
machine,  a  combination  of  various  bands,  cords,  and 
levers,  adjusted  in  due  relation  and  operating  for  a 
specific  purpose. 

In  the  language  of  physiology,  he  consists  of  a  bony 
framework  covered  with  flesh  and  skin,  and  supplied 
with  various  organs  whose  functions  are  to  preserve 
the  life  of  the  individual  and  to  perpetuate  the  species. 

In  the  language  of  sociology,  he  is  a  unit  in  the 
organism  of  human  society  and  has  his  specific  func- 
tions in  the  life  of  the  social  whole,  just  as  the  organs  of 
the  body  have  specific  functions  in  the  life  of  the  body. 

In  the  language  of  psychology,  he  is  a  mind  mani- 
festing various  phenomena,  all  of  which  occur  in  har- 
mony with  law. 

In  the  language  of  theology,  he  is  the  dust  of  the 
ground  and  the  breath  of  God,  a  spark  struck  from  the 

121 


122  Up  Through  Childhood 

divine  anvil,  a  life  enclosed  in  a  clod  of  clay,  a  son  of 
the  Most  High  afar  from  his  Father's  house,  but  when 
true  to  himself,  seeking  his  eternal  home. 

In  the  language  of  education,  he  is  a  being  consti- 
tuted of  body  and  mind,  a  bundle  of  possibilities  from 

which  the  developments  may  be  marvellous. 
Soul  and  He  ig  bom  -n  weaknesS)  yet  destined  to 
Body. 

strength;  promising  noble  things,  yet  often 

falling  short  of  fulfilment.  He  is  the  hope  of  the  good 
and  the  great. 

No  man  knows  the  relation  of  mind  and  body,  yet 
we  are  coming  more  fully  to  recognise  that  there  is  a 
Relation  cl°se  tie  that  binds  them  together,  and  that 
of  Mind  the  best  manifestation  of  mental  life  is  found 
and  Body.  jn  connection  with  a  fine,  chaste,  physical 
life.  We  also  realise  that  the  body  may  be  a  strength 
to  help  us  on  toward  God,  and  that  its  elasticity  and 
the  exuberance  of  high  health  may  so  temper  our  mind 
and  face  our  spirits  toward  life's  difficulties  and  dis- 
couragements that  we  may  be  able  by  sheer  force  of 
physical  prowess  to  surmount  many  of  the  obstacles 
that  life  offers.  But  great  as  is  the  value  of  the  physi- 
cal, there  is  a  moral  courage  that  is  above  any  physi- 
cal courage,  and,  after  all,  the  great  problem  of  life  is 
to  spiritualise  the  nature,  to  see  that  the  part  which  is 
highest  shall  be  highest.  Ours  is  the  duty  to  make  the 
spirit  triumphant  over  the  body;  to  make  life  dominate 
the  clay.  Nowhere  have  I  seen  this  better  expressed 
than  by  Bertha  Hasseltine  : 


What  Is  Man?  123 

The  Spiritual  and  the  Physical 

Doth  not  the  soul  the  body  sway  ? 
And  the  responding  plastic  clay 
Receive  the  impress  every  hour 
Of  the  pervading  spirit's  power  ? 

Look  inward  if  thou  wouldst  be  fair ; 
To  beauty  guide  the  feelings  there, 
And  this  soul-beauty,  bright  and  warm, 
Thy  outward  being  will  transform. 

So  by  the  glorious  might  of  mind 
Let  all  thy  nature  be  refined, 
Till  in  the  soul's  inspiring  flow 
Thy  beauty  shall  increasing  grow. 

And  let  the  heart  rich  colouring  give, 
And  bid  the  beauteous  statue  live, 
That,  gracing  earth  and  fit  for  heaven, 
Life's  richest  dower  to  thee  be  given. 


The  ideal  which  we  hold  of  human  life  and  of  man's 
destiny  will  determine  to  a  great  degree  the  way  in 
which  we  strive  to  realise  the  best  that  man  may  be. 
First  there  must  be  freedom  to  grow. 

The  pent-up  energies  of  the  body  must  find  healthful 
and  satisfying  scope.     Not  that  the  boy  may  become 
only  a  fine  animal,  but  that  there  must  be 
such  a  use  of  the  forces  of  the  body  that  its      to  Grow> 
energy  will  not  be  a  force  soliciting  to  evil. 
The  mind,  too,  must  be  dominated  by  a  worthy  pur- 
pose, and  so  directed  and  occupied  that  a  steady,  in- 
telligent, and  worthy  activity  may  be  the  constant  aim. 
The  heart  must  needs  be  full  of  high,  true,  inspiring 


124          Up  Through  Childhood 

love;  and  as  the  young  life  reaches  out  in  varied  di- 
rections, so  far  as  possible  it  must  be  shielded  from  the 
cold  cynicism  of  the  world  on  the  one  hand,  and  on  the 
other  from  that  unquestioning  faith  which  can  lead 
only  to  disappointment  or  to  permanent  distrust. 

I  am  more  and  more  impressed  with  the  importance 
of  freedom  in  the  large,  high  sense  of  the  term.  There 
must  be  freedom  for  the  body.  It  must  not  be  bound 
by  any  absurd  requirements  which  will  hinder  its  full 
development.  There  must  be  freedom  of  action.  There 
must  be  an  abundance  of  fresh  air,  good  food,  and  sound 
sleep.  The  day  has  gone  by  for  feeble  body,  the  pale 
face,  and  the  clouded  brain.  We  need  the  highest  and 
finest  strength  that  may  come  to  us. 

To  grow,  fulfil  the  laws  of  growth.  There  must 
be  freedom  to  grow,  and  there  must  be  the  material 
How  ^or  *ke  great  master  spirit  of  man  to  use  in 

shall  we  the  building.  It  is  a  structure  which  in 
Grow?  itself,  and  of  its  own  initiative,  moves  on 
and  on  toward  the  realisation  of  a  good  form,  perme- 
ated by  a  high  degree  of  life.  The  human  being  has 
many  stages  of  growth.  Each  is  marked  by  some 
strong,  even  predominating  characteristic,  and  gives 
place  insensibly  by  a  process  of  growth  to  a  new  stage 
of  development  marked  by  a  new  characteristic. 

This  has  a  parallel  in  our  national  life.  After  the 
period  of  voyage  and  discovery  came  the  great  begin- 
nings of  our  life  as  a  people.  Men  everywhere  looked 
to  the  question  of  settlement.  Forests  were  cleared, 


What  Is  Man?  125 

rivers  cleaned,  docks  built,  railways  constructed.  The 
wheels  of  industry  began  to  turn  along  every  river,  and 
in  every  valley  far  and  wide  little  streams  of  trade 
rushed  to  the  larger  current,  and  almost  unconsciously 
to  ourselves  there  had  developed  a  colonial  life  bound 
to  the  mother  country.  Little  by  little  these  ties  were 
weakening,  and  with  the  recognition  of  our  own  inner 
strength,  and  with  the  development  of  our  own  suf- 
ficiency, we  came  to  see  that  separation  was  possible, 
and  in  a  moment  of  irritation  we  felt  that  it  would  be 
desirable.  Deeper  than  all  oppression,  deeper  than  all 
reactions  against  unworthy  government  and  unworthy 
men,  so  grew  the  strong  native  instinct  that  leads  men 
to  have  their  government  among  themselves.  Then 
there  was  the  painful  period  of  separation,  the  setting 
up  of  a  new  government,  the  developing  of  powers  be- 
fore unknown,  the  recognition  of  possibilities  and  tend- 
encies, ideals,  impulses,  yea,  attainment,  that  before 
had  not  been  dreamed  of.  Under  the  fierce  heat  of  war 
there  came  our  elements  of  heroism  and  patriotism,  and 
the  strength  of  a  far  vision  which  made  possible  the 
understanding  of  problems  reaching  into  the  centuries. 
Now,  dealing  with  such  questions  as  these,  striving  to 
work  them  out  along  new  lines,  we  found  in  ourselves 
as  a  people  new  possibilities  and  new  powers.  To  meet 
these  possibilities  which  before  were  dormant,  we  burst 
into  the  strength  of  a  new  life,  and  from  thirteen  little 
republics  we  became  in  rudimentary  form  a  nation. 
We  paused  aside  from  the  stir,  hurry,  and  life  of  the 


i26          Up  Through  Childhood 

Old  World,  with  a  conscious  bashfulness  of  youth,  with 
a  sense  of  our  own  immaturity,  and  with  a  recognition 
that  silence,  reserve,  and  accumulation  were  the  things 
fitting  for  us. 

The  growth  of  a  child  is  not  unlike  this  outline  of 
our  national  growth.  The  child  is  scarcely  more  than 
an  infant  when  the  inner  instinct  and  activity  which 
never  rest  drive  it  on  and  on  to  test  its  little  world  on 
every  side,  to  make  new  discoveries,  to  find  new  incent- 
ives to  action,  and  by  some  means,  unconscious  though 
it  may  be,  to  discover  its  own  powers.  And  these  grow- 
ing powers  are  found,  and  they  are  not  a  few,  but  they  are 
not  all.  Still  the  child  lingers  aside,  its  world  is  narrow, 
and  it  learns  the  limits  well.  As  it  is  with  the  thought 
of  the  great  outside  world,  so  it  is  with  the  thought  of 
childhood, — the  thought  touched  everywhere  with  the 
glow,  the  thought  made  bright  by  the  gleam,  of  a  light 
beyond  the  stars.  This  is  the  great  age  of  imagination, 
and  the  child  shrinks  aside  from  the  lessons  and  the 
life  of  the  work-a-day  world  that  he  may  be  with  his 
own  thoughts,  that  he  may  build  his  own  castles,  that 
he  may  become  more  and  more  what  he  ought  to  be. 
This  is  the  period  in  which  childhood  is  dominated  by 
the  "Monroe  Doctrine."  True  to  his  needs,  he  shrinks 
from  the  vigorous  struggling  world  of  life.  The  stir- 
ring sense  of  unconscious  life  within  him  will  make 
itself  known;  it  resides  in  him,  planted  by  the  wise 
nature  of  an  Almighty  Father,  in  order  that  his  children 
may  be  men  and  women,  and  the  very  life  of  childhood 


What  Is  Man?  127 

exists  only  that  man  may  learn  the  world  and  learn 
some  little  of  the  Self  which  the  reaction  of  the  outer 
world  upon  the  inner  life  in  course  of  time  develops. 
Most  marvellous  is  this  reaction,  and  most  wonderful 
are  its  results! 

After  the  boy  has  come  to  recognise  his  own  powers, 
tendencies,  and  general  disposition,  he  bends  his  en- 
ergies in  many  directions,  and  measures  his  power  with 
others  of  his  kind.  His  energy  seeks  new  channels,  he 
tests  new  conditions,  combinations,  and  peculiarities  of 
environment;  his  whole  disposition  goes  out  in  new 
fields  to  conquer.  He  is  learning  more,  seeing  more, 
doing  more.  This  corresponds  to  the  recent ' '  Age  of 
Expansion ' '  in  our  national  life. 

Out  of  the  action  of  a  human  soul  upon  surroundings 
we  have  the  developed  man,  out  of  the  reaction  of  a 
nation  upon  its  surroundings  we  find  a  great  people 
with  a  unified  national  life.  However,  it  is  not  the 
nation,  but  the  individual  that  concerns  us  most 
closely.  With  his  rare  insight  and  words  of  power, 
Shakespeare  has  traced  the  round  of  human  life  from 
the  cradle  to  the  grave. 

The  Seven  Ages  of  Man 

All  the  world 's  a  stage, 

And  all  the  men  and  women  merely  players  : 
They  have  their  exits  and  their  entrances ; 
And  one  man  in  his  time  plays  many  parts, 
His  acts  being  seven  ages.    At  first,  the  infant, 
Mewling  and  puking  in  the  nurse's  arms. 


128          Up  Through  Childhood 

And  then  the  whining  school-boy,  with  his  satchel, 

And  shining  morning  face,  creeping,  like  snail, 

Unwillingly  to  school.    And  then  the  lover, 

Sighing  like  a  furnace,  with  a  woeful  ballad 

Made  to  his  mistress's  eyebrow.     Then  the  soldier, 

Full  of  strange  oaths,  and  bearded  like  the  pard, 

Jealous  in  honour,  sudden  and  quick  in  quarrel, 

Seeking  the  bubble  reputation 

Even  in  the  cannon's  mouth.     And  then  the  justice, 

In  fair  round  belly,  with  good  capon  lin'd, 

With  eyes  severe,  and  beard  of  formal  cut, 

Full  of  wise  saws  and  modern  instances, 

And  so  he  plays  his  part.    The  sixth  age  shifts 

Into  the  lean  and  slippered  pantaloon, 

With  spectacles  on  nose,  and  pouch  on  side; 

His  youthful  hose  well  sav'd,  a  world  too  wide 

For  his  shrunk  shank;  and  his  big  manly  voice, 

Turning  again  toward  childish  treble,  pipes 

And  whistles  in  his  sound.     Last  scene  of  all, 

That  ends  this  strange,  eventful  history, 

Is  second  childishness,  and  mere  oblivion  ; 

Sans  teeth,  sans  eyes,  sans  taste,  sans  everything. 

As  You  Like  It. 

The  second  childhood  carries  the  poor  human  being 
out  into  the  shadows,  but  the  first  carries  him  out  into 
the  new  and  growing  realm  of  power.  And  he  finds 
the  working  of  a  law  which  brings  the  body  to  the 
grave  without  a  struggle,  and  by  a  process  as  quiet  and 
natural  as  the  flame  of  the  candle  dies  down  in  the 
socket  which  holds  it.  We  trust  there  is  a  higher 
thought.  This  fading  out  of  the  light  of  the  eye,  and 
this  failing  of  all  the  bodily  powers  is  only  that  the 
spirit  may  have  the  finer  field  for  development,  and 
that  the  veils  of  the  soul,  which  have  hung  about  to 


What  Is  Man?  129 

shed  from  it  the  unclouded  glory  which  it  was  not  able 
to  bear,  may  in  death  be  gently  drawn  aside  for  the  in- 
pouring  of  the  light  eternal.  But  life  is  here,  and  now 
as  parents  and  teachers  we  must  meet  it  in  each  of  the 
developing  stages,  supplying  those  surroundings  which 
will  contribute  most  to  the  right  unfolding  of  its  grow- 
ing powers.  These  stages  are  not  unmarked,  but  glide 
into  each  other  by  a  relative  transition,  with  difficulty 
recognised  by  a  parent  and  often  overlooked  by  a 
teacher,  who  should  readily  recognise  the  change. 
These  for  the  most  part  glide  into  each  other;  but  it  is 
a  great  convenience  for  the  teacher  to  have  in  mind 
some  clear  idea  of  the  different  stages  through  which 
the  child  passes  in  the  development  of  his  own  being 
and  in  the  adaptation  to  his  own  environment. 

The  child's  life  may,  for  study,  be  divided  into  five 
periods: 

1 .  The  sucking  period,  which  covers  the  first  year. 

2.  The  period  of  early  childhood,  which  is  a  time  of 
rapid  adaptation  to  environment,  covering  the  years 
from  one  to  six.     That  is  the  great  period  of  unfold- 
ing for  mind  and  body.     It  is  a  time  of  acquisition. 
"  L,et  me  see,"  is  the  cry  of  the  child's  whole  nature. 
It  is  a  time  when  self-expression  is  strong;  the  mind  is 
hungry,  the  body  cries  out  for  action.     It  is  said  with 
some  show  of  truth  that  the  child  at  six  years  of  age 
knows  half  as  much  as  he  will  ever  know.     Ah,  how 
rapidly  he  has  been  learning!     He  has  learned  to  ob- 
serve.    The  great  world  has  widened  on  every  side, 


i3°          Up  Through  Childhood 

and  he  knows  a  thousand  things  about  him.  Form 
and  colour,  size,  weight,  smoothness,  and  beauty,  all 
have  told  him  their  secrets.  He  has  begun  to  judge 
people;  he  knows  his  friends,  and  avoids  his  enemies. 
He  has  learned  the  language  of  a  smile  and  the  harsher 
language  of  a  frown.  He  has  learned  to  walk,  and 
goes  afar  to  explore  new  fields.  He  has  learned  the 
marvellous  relationships  which  are  the  beginning  of 
all  thought.  He  is  already  in  his  own  small  way  a 
thinker.  He  has  learned  a  new  language.  In  short, 
he  has  made  a  beginning  on  the  great  circle  of  experi- 
ence that  shall  widen  until  he  dies. 

3.  The  time  from  seven  to  twelve  is  a  period  of  ripen- 
ing for  childhood.     In  the  early  part  of  this  period  the 
senses  are  still  very  much  alert  and  the  child  seeks 
information  through  every  channel.    lyater,  the  memory 
becomes  more  active,  and  it  seems  as  if  nothing  that 
the  mind  has  once  grasped  can  make  its  escape.     The 
varied  parts  of  the  body  seem  to  ripen  and  finish  them- 
selves for  the  child-period.     There  is  a  pause,  and  then 
comes  a  rapid  marshalling  of  the  forces. 

4.  The  boy  prepares  to  become  a  man;  the  mysteri- 
ous change  of  puberty  is  upon  him.     The  body  stores 
material.     He  grows  rapidly.     The  mind  gathers  new 
ideas  and  new  thought  material  in  abundance.      It 
seems  that  every  part  of  the  body  has  more  than  enough 
material  for  recuperation  and  natural  growth.     Fiery 
currents  surge  through  his   body;    strange  thoughts 
come  to  his  mind.     To  his  heart  sometimes  there  comes 


What  Is  Man  ?  131 

the  feeling  that  his  best  friends  do  not  care  for  him. 
This  is  the  age  when  boys  plan  to  run  away  from  home; 
the  age  when  they  are  restless  under  restraint;  the  time 
when  they  need  wise,  and  true,  and  confidential  friends; 
the  time  when  the  unselfish  and  wise  Sunday-school 
teacher  can  do  his  largest  and  most  far-reaching  work. 
The  stream  of  existence  is  taking  its  direction  for  all 
the  days  to  come.  The  heart  is  hungry  and  seeks  for 
sympathy  and  companionship.  A  little  later  the  altru- 
istic feelings  grow  strong.  The  idea  of  service  pre- 
dominates and  the  youth  recognises  the  obligations  to 
human  society,  of  which  he  is  a  part.  It  is  the  time 
of  supreme  friendships.  A  boy  will  then  form  a  friend- 
ship for  one  who  is  older  and  wiser,  and  will  give 
his  life  rather  than  be  untrue.  This  is  the  time  for 
abundant  exercise;  the  time  for  healthful  occupation 
for  body,  mind,  and  heart. 

5.  The  next  period,  from  eighteen  to  twenty-five, 
witnesses  the  unfolding  of  that  consciousness  which 
recognises  the  family  life.  New  thoughts  of  the  per- 
manency of  life  and  the  permanency  of  human  rela- 
tions come  to  him,  and  a  recognition  of  the  rightfulness 
of  many  laws  in  human  society  which,  until  this  time, 
he  has  felt  to  be  burdensome  or  useless.  Then  are 
established  the  habits  of  business  life,  and  the  young 
man  begins  to  take  that  attitude  of  body  and  mind 
which  shows  him  a  farmer,  a  carpenter,  a  minister,  a 
lawyer,  a  physician,  or  a  business  man.  Manhood 
takes  a  "  holding  turn,"  and  from  that  time  forth,  not 


132          Up  Through  Childhood 

only  professional  habits,  but  many  a  turn  of  the  moral 
life  is  settled  to  continue  to  the  grave.  A  little  later 
come  the  recognition  of  the  national  life,  the  con- 
sciousness of  his  belonging  to  his  country,  a  feeling  of 
the  world  relationships,  and  himself  a  part  of  all.  The 
round  of  human  relationships,  with  the  experiences  of 
life,  and  that  longing  for  the  other  home  where  are 
those  whom  we  have  loved  and  lost,  is  beautifully 
portrayed  in  Jean  Ingelow's  Songs  of  Seven.  To  con- 
dense the  poem  is  to  mar  its  beauty.  But  the  reader 
will  find  here  its  lessons. 

Songs  of  Seven 
Seven  times  one.    Exultation 

There 's  no  dew  left  on  the  daisies  and  clover, 

There  's  no  rain  left  in  heaven  : 
I  've  said  my  "  seven  times  "  over  and  over, 

Seven  times  one  are  seven. 

I  am  old,  so  old,  I  can  write  a  letter ; 

My  birthday  lessons  are  done  ; 
The  lambs  play  always,  they  know  no  better  ; 

They  are  only  one  times  one. 

Seven  times  two.    Romance 

I  wait  for  the  day  when  dear  hearts  shall  discover, 

While  dear  hands  are  laid  on  my  head : 
" The  child  is  a  woman,  the  book  may  close  over, 

For  all  the  lessons  are  said." 

I  wait  for  my  story — the  birds  cannot  sing  it, 

Not  one,  as  he  sits  on  the  tree  ; 
The  bells  cannot  ring  it,  but  long  years,  O  bring  it ! 

Such  as  I  wish  to  be. 


What  Is  Man?  133 

Seven  times  three.    Love 

I  leaned  out  of  window,  I  smelt  the  white  clover, 
Dark,  dark  was  the  garden,  I  saw  not  the  gate  ; 
"  Now,  if  there  be  footsteps,  he  conies,  my  one  lover — 
Hush,  nightingale,  hush  !     O  sweet  nightingale,  wait 
Till  I  listen  and  hear 
If  a  step  draweth  near, 
For  my  love  he  is  late  ! " 

"  Too  deep  for  swift  telling  ;  and  yet,  my  one  lover, 

I  've  conned  thee  an  answer,  it  waits  thee  to-night." 
By  the  sycamore  passed  he,  and  through  the  white  clover, 
Then  all  the  sweet  speech  I  had  fashioned  took  flight ; 
But  1 11  love  him  more,  more 
Than  e'er  wife  loved  before, 
Be  the  days  dark  or  bright. 

Seven  times  four.    Maternity 

Heigh  ho  !  daisies  and  buttercups, 

Fair  yellow  daffodils,  stately  and  tall ! 
When  the  wind  wakes  how  they  rock  in  the  grasses, 

And  dance  with  the  cuckoo-buds  slender  and  small ! 
Here  's  two  bonny  boys,  and  here  's  mother's  own  lassies, 

Kager  to  gather  them  all. 

Seven  times  five.     Widowhood 

I  sleep  and  rest,  my  heart  makes  moan 

Before  I  am  well  awake  ; 
"  Let  me  bleed  ;  O  let  me  alone, 

Since  I  must  not  break!  " 

For  children  wake,  though  fathers  sleep 

With  a  stone  at  foot  and  at  head : 
O  sleepless  God,  forever  keep, 

Keep  both  living  and  dead  ! 


134          Up  Through  Childhood 

Seven  times  six.     Giving  in  Marriage 

To  bear,  to  nurse,  to  rear, 

To  watch,  and  then  to  lose ; 
To  see  my  bright  ones  disappear, 

Drawn  up  like  morning  dews — 
To  be.ar,  to  nurse,  to  rear, 

To  watch,  and  then  to  lose  : 
This  have  I  done  when  God  drew  near 

Among  his  own  to  choose. 

To  hear,  to  heed,  to  wed, 

And  with  thy  lord  depart 
In  tears  that  he,  as  soon  as  shed, 

Will  let  no  longer  smart. 
To  hear,  to  heed,  to  wed, 

This  while  thou  didst  I  smiled, 
For  now  it  was  not  God  who  said, 

"Mother,  give  ME  thy  child." 

Seven  times  seven.    Longing  for  home 

A  song  of  a  boat : — 
There  was  once  a  boat  on  a  billow  ; 
Lightly  she  rocked  to  her  port  remote, 
And  the  foam  was  white  in  her  wake  like  snow, 
And  her  frail  mast  bowed  when  the  breeze  would  blow 
And  bent  like  a  wand  of  willow. 

A  song  of  a  nest : — 
There  was  once  a  nest  in  a  hollow  ; 
Down  in  the  mosses  and  knot  grass  pressed, 
Soft  and  warm,  and  full  to  the  brim — 
Vetches  leaned  over  it  purple  and  dim, 
With  buttercup  buds  to  follow. 

I  pray  you,  what  is  the  nest  to  me, 
My  empty  nest  ? 


What  Is  Man  ?  135 

And  what  is  the  shore  where  I  stood  to  see 

My  boat  sail  down  to  the  west  ? 
Can  I  call  that  home  where  I  anchor  yet, 

Though  iny  good  man  has  sailed  ? 
Can  I  call  that  home  where  my  nest  is  set, 

Now  all  its  hope  hath  failed  ? 
Nay,  but  the  port  where  my  sailor  went, 

And  the  land  where  my  nestlings  be  : 
There  is  the  home  where  my  thoughts  are  sent, 

The  only  home  for  me — 

Ah  me! 


CHAPTER  X 

SELF-ACTIVITY  AND  ENVIRONMENT 

EVERY  student  of  children  must  have  recognised  in 
them  a  tremendous  mental  activity.  It  is  sometimes 
The  called  a  hunger — a  hunger  of  the  body  and 

Many  a  hunger  of  the  soul.     A  child's  being  in 

Hungers.  everv  part  seeks  nourishment  and  expres- 
sion. It  is  this  characteristic  in  nature  which  Lowell 
sings  in  Sir  Launfal  : 

Every  clod  feels  a  stir  of  might, 
An  instinct  within  it  that  reaches  and  towers 

And,  groping  blindly  above  it  for  light, 
Climbs  to  a  soul  in  grass  and  flowers. 

It  is  this  climbing  to  a  soul  which  characterises  the 
untaught  activity  of  childhood,  an  impulse  that  will 
The  not  t^ien  kro°k  resistance;  it  causes  the 

Climbing  physical  activity  in  the  body  which  is  to  be 
Soul-  made;  the  mental  and  spiritual  activity  in 

the  soul  which  is  to  be  developed.  There  is  the  cry- 
ing out  of  the  whole  nature,  not  only  for  food  and 
nourishment,  but  for  an  activity  which  cannot  fail  to 
develop  power.  It  is  this  internal  activity  played  upon 

136 


Self- Activity  and  Environment    137 

by  external  forces  which  offers  the  problem  of  Self- 
activity  and  Environment;  the  play  of  these  two  forces, 
when  properly  related,  results  in  education. 

It  is  a  truism,  that  struggle  develops  character,  and 
as  long  as  the  struggle  is  wholesome,  natural,  and 
reasonable,  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  char-  struggle 
acter  developed  is  of  the  best  kind.  But  and 

every  spirit  has  its  breaking  strain,  and  arac  er* 
whenever  the  contest  is  carried  beyond  the  point  where 
the  internal  force  is  able  to  triumph,  there  come  dis- 
appointment, hesitation,  doubt,  failure.  The  secret 
of  all  sound  education  is  found  in  the  reaction  be- 
tween forces  without  and  forces  within,  and  no  teach- 
ing, no  exercise,  is  valuable  except  as  it  excites  this 
reaction. 

A  child's  relation  to  his  environment  is  one  of  the 
most  important  topics.  It  is  because  this  relation  is 

so  often  a  false  one,  that  the  warm,  active, 

Right 

pure,  and  sensuous  life  is  submerged  or  per-      Relation 

verted  by  external  forces.  The  environment  to  En" 
.  ,  ,  .  r  .  vironment. 

indeed  becomes  a  matter  of  supreme  import- 
ance, and  the  high  duty  of  the  parent  or  the  teacher  is 
to  place  the  surroundings  in  such  relation  to  the  child 
that  they  may  always  call  forth  his  latent  energies  and 
predisposition  in  lines  of  right  activity,  and  that  they 
shall  not  in  any  way  contribute  to  seal  up  within  him 
those  activities,  desires,  and  purposes  that  are  the 
highest  ends  of  education. 

Wordsworth  talks  of  a  prison-house  that  closes  about 


138          Up  Through  Childhood 

the  growing  boy1;  Hood  laments  that  the  heaven,  so 
Open  the  near  *n  childhood,  is  now  farther  off  than 
Prison-  when  he  was  a  boy3;  but  the  only  reason 
house.  tkat  tkis  prison-house  closes  about  us,  and 
that  heaven  gets  farther  away,  is  because  we  are  clos- 

1  Heaven  lies  about  us  in  our  infancy. 
Shades  of  the  prison-house  begin  to  close 

Upon  the  growing  Boy, 
But  he  beholds  the  light,  and  whence  it  flows, 

He  sees  it  in  his  joy ; 

The  Youth,  who  daily  farther  from  the  East 
Must  travel,  still  is  Nature's  Priest, 

And  by  the  vision  splendid 

Is  on  his  way  attended  ; 
At  length  the  Man  perceives  it  die  away, 
And  fade  into  the  light  of  common  day. 

WORDSWORTH. 

a  I  REMEMBER 

I  remember,  I  remember, 
The  house  where  I  was  born, 
The  little  window  where  the  sun 
Came  peeping  in  at  morn  ; 
He  never  came  a  wink  too  soon, 
Nor  brought  too  long  a  day, 
But  now,  I  often  wish  the  night 
Had  borne  my  breath  away. 

I  remember,  I  remember, 

The  fir  trees  dark  and  high  ; 

I  used  to  think  their  slender  tops 

Were  close  against  the  sky  : 

It  was  a  childish  ignorance, 

But  now  't  is  little  joy 

To  know  I  'm  farther  off  from  Heav'n 

Than  when  I  was  a  boy. 

THOMAS  HOOD. 


Self-  Activity  and  Environment    139 

ing  rather  than  opening  the  vents  which  allow  the  free 
spirit  within  to  reveal  its  glory,  and  to  come  in  touch 
with  God's  outer  beauty  in  this  great  true  world. 

One  may  overcome  environment;  he  may  be  over- 
come by  it,  or  he  may  flee  from  it.  When  one  is 
sufficiently  strong  to  overcome  his  environ-  Relations 
ment  by  bringing  out  of  the  struggle  strength  to  En- 
and  victory,  then  it  contributes  to  his  growth.  vironment- 
When  he  is  overcome  by  environment  and  it  leads  him 
where  it  will,  he  finds  suffering  and  loss.  When  an 
unwholesome  environment  is  overcoming  our  resistance, 
it  is  the  part  of  wisdom  to  flee.  Here,  then,  is  the  field 
of  activity  for  the  will.  By  means  of  this  we  are  able 
to  choose  for  ourselves  those  surroundings  which  will 
make  us  strong,  minister  to  our  growth,  and  leave  us 
nobler  with  each  passing  year. 

Build  thee  more  stately  mansions,  O  my  soul, 

As  the  swift  seasons  roll  ! 

Leave  thy  low-vaulted  past  ! 

Let  each  new  temple,  nobler  than  the  last, 

Shut  thee  from  heaven  with  a  dome  more  vast, 

Till  thou  at  length  art  free, 

Leaving  thine  outgrown  shell  by  life's  unresting  sea  ! 


There  is  another  aspect  of  the  process  of  education; 
it  consists  in  recognising  that  the  child  is  born  to  an 
inheritance  from  the  civilisation  of  the  past. 

To  paraphrase  President  Butler:  "  It  covers        Our  In~ 

heritances. 
the  whole  range  of  literary,  scientific,  aes- 

thetic, institutional,  and  religious  achievements  of  those 


140          Up  Through  Childhood 

who  have  gone  before,  and  to  each  of  us  comes,  as  an 
educational  birthright,  such  a  knowledge  of  the  achieve- 
ments of  the  past  in  these  various  fields  as  will  con- 
tribute to  our  highest  development." — Meaning  of 
Education. 

The  literary  inheritance  includes  not  only  the  litera- 
tures of  the  world,  but  the  languages  of  the  world. 
Literary  ^ke  literatures  are  valuable  in  that  they 
Inherit-  show  how  great  minds  of  different  nations 
ance*  have  answered  life's  questions.  To  master 

the  literature  of  any  civilised  people  is  to  enter  into  a 
great  inheritance.  But  one  must  master  languages, 
which  are  the  tools  of  thought,  if  he  would  know  great 
literatures.  It  has  been  said,  and  not  without  truth, 
that  for  the  mastery  of  every  new  language  the  man 
receives  a  new  soul.  However,  I  am  much  impressed 
with  the  thought  that  the  smattering  knowledge  of 
several  languages  received  in  our  high  schools  and 
colleges  is  much  less  satisfactory,  and  gives  less  power 
to  the  student,  than  the  mastery  of  one.  There  is 
doubtless  a  certain  value  in  the  study  of  the  dead  lan- 
guages, and  for  our  needs  and  time  a  fair  study  of  one 
of  the  dead  languages  and  the  mastery  of  a  living  lan- 
guage will  bestow  on  the  student  more  real  power  than 
a  slight  knowledge  of  several.  We  of  the  English 
tongue,  with  all  the  wealth  of  thought,  literature,  and 
learning  which  has  been  embodied  in  our  literature, 
have  need  to  rejoice  that  we  naturally  grow  up  in  the 
knowledge  of  a  language  which  may  unfold  to  us  such 


Self- Activity  and  Environment 

profound  lessons  of  literature,  science,  history,  and  art. 
So  far  as  coming  at  the  stores  that  are  hidden  in  foreign 
languages,  there  is  little  need  to  study  them  for  that 
purpose,  because  for  the  average  person  the  great 
number  of  excellent  translations  will  do  far  more  than 
he  is  able  to  do  for  himself. 

By  the  scientific  inheritance  we  mean  not  only  the 
great  range  of  scientific  knowledge  found  in  physics, 
chemistry,  and  biology,  but  all  those  appli-  Scientific 
cations  of  science  which  in  our  everyday  Inherit- 
life  contribute  to  the  comfort  of  men.  The 
illustrations  are  not  far  to  seek,  for  they  are  found  in 
telegraphs,  telephones,  electric  cars,  steam-engines,  and 
water-rams,  washing  powder,  and  a  hundred  of  the 
small  or  great  materials,  methods,  or  appliances  that 
will  help  to  lighten  daily  labour  or  to  protect  health. 
The  acquisition  of  the  scientific  inheritance  bestows 
upon  the  student  a  training  which  is  of  the  greatest 
value.  He  learns  there  to  weigh  the  comparative 
value  of  facts,  to  measure  and  interpret  statements,  and 
to  put  together  a  whole  range  of  ideas  which  ought  to 
unfold  to  him  the  movements  of  nature  in  accordance 
with  law.  Then,  too,  there  comes  to  him  almost  un- 
consciously an  understanding  of  the  method  of  induc- 
tion. He  has  the  instinctive  disposition  to  apply  that 
to  the  affairs  of  everyday  life.  There  is,  however, 
one  feature  of  the  scientific  inheritance  that  may  be 
very  well  emphasised,  and  that  is  the  application  of  the 
general  laws  to  the  practical  affairs  of  life.  What  shall 


142          Up  Through  Childhood 

it  profit  him  to  understand  the  principles  of  chemistry, 
and  be  able  to  work  out  intricate  calculations  in  phys- 
ics, if  he  does  not  know  the  importance  of  putting 
water  in  the  cellar  to  keep  the  vegetables  from  freezing, 
or  if  he  does  not  understand  that  water  in  the  gas-pipes 
is  responsible  for  the  fitful  flame?  He  needs  the 
science  of  common  things. 

We  have  heard  again  and  again  of  the  beauty  of 
holiness,  and  there  are  not  a  few  with  true  insight  who 
^Esthetic  are  highly  appreciative  of  the  holiness  of 
Inherit-  beauty.  In  the  work-a-day  world,  with  its 
soil  and  care  and  pain,  happy  is  the  man 
who  can  gather  from  nature  and  from  art  something 
of  the  joys  of  creation,  and  something  of  the  high  ap- 
preciation which  makes  life  seem  beautiful  and  unfolds 
to  him  in  the  periods  of  darkness  a  beauty  even  in  the 
commonplace.  In  common  with  literature,  this  in- 
heritance claims  some  of  the  beauty  of  poetry.  It  has 
for  its  own  the  beauty  of  music,  and  there  are  the 
added  claims  of  painting  and  sculpture.  As  a  part 
of  the  world's  endeavour,  this  becomes  one  of  the  great 
features  of  life,  and  contributes  largely  to  the  culture 
of  the  human  spirit.  Here,  as  in  so  many  other  de- 
partments, the  most  important  caution  is  to  guard 
against  superficial  study  and  pretended  appreciation. 
We  need  to  look  deeply  and  to  feel  keenly.  Our 
hearts  must  be  open  to  the  best  messages,  and  our  lives 
ready  for  the  truth. 

By  institutional  inheritance  we  mean  to  include  the 


Self- Activity  and  Environment    H3 

knowledge  of  institutions  which  have  come  to  us 
through  all  the  generations.  Considered  as  organisa- 
tions, we  think  of  school,  church,  and  gov-  institu- 
ernment,  of  lodges  and  societies,  and  the  tional  In- 
whole  range  of  organised  affairs  among  men.  in  ance' 
Our  student  will  gain  greatly  if  he  has  such  a  know- 
ledge of  parliamentary  law  as  will  enable  him  to  take 
part  successfully  in  deliberative  bodies;  he  will  be  all 
the  better  citizen,  if  he  understands  the  organisation  of 
the  government  under  which  he  lives,  and  the  means 
by  which  any  given  result  is  obtained.  In  particular, 
he  needs  to  understand  something  of  the  real  advance- 
ment which  has  been  made  in  the  problem  of  govern- 
ment in  our  country.  With  the  study  of  the  three 
great  departments  of  our  government,  legislative, 
executive,  and  judicial,  he  may  be  taught  that  the 
Supreme  Court  is  something  almost  new  in  the  history 
of  government,  and  that,  ranking,  as  it  does,  as  one 
of  the  co-ordinate  departments  of  government,  it  per- 
forms an  office  among  us  that  is  not  found  in  any  other 
form  of  government.  Leading  then  to  the  great  prin- 
ciples of  democracy,  he  learns  that,  when  new  states 
are  admitted  into  the  sisterhood  of  states,  they  enter 
with  all  the  rights  and  privileges  of  their  elder  sisters, 
a  thing  before  unheard  of  in  the  history  of  the  world. 

The  careful  study  of  the  institutions  among  which  he 
lives  will  open  to  him  a  new  sense  of  the  organic  unity 
of  the  nation,  and  give  him  some  idea  of  the  close 
bonds  of  humanity. 


144          Up  Through  Childhood 

This  is  no  small  inheritance.  All  through  the  ages 
there  have  been  dimly  or  more  clearly  set  forth  the  love 
Religious  °^  ^°^  anc^  ^ie  outpouring  of  the  spiritual 
Inherit-  and  moral  forces  of  the  universe,  and  as 
ance.  man  jn  j^s  ^m  way  ^as  strllggled  from  the 

dark  into  the  light  of  the  Infinite,  he  has  learned  les- 
sons which  are  passed  on  from  generation  to  generation. 
It  is  no  small  thing  that  man  shall  learn  aspiration, 
that  he  shall  recognise  the  importance  and  nature  of 
human  duty,  that  he  shall  know  what  man  has  thought, 
loved,  hoped,  and  believed;  and  most  of  all  that  he 
shall  recognise  the  way  by  which  the  inner  glory, 
divinely  planted,  streams  out  into  this  world,  which 
even  now  is  early  in  the  making. 

The  journals  on  physical  education,  in  varying 
terms,  insist  that  weakness  is  a  crime.  It  is  not 

physical   weakness  alone,   but   intellectual 
Applica- 
tionsof        and  spiritual  weakness,    that  is   criminal; 

this  In-  many  people  do  wrong  because  they  are  not 
heritance  prOperjy  equipped  to  meet  the  responsibili- 
velopment  ties  of  the  position  in  which  life  places  them. 
of  Self-  if  they  can  enter  upon  their  inheritance 
n  y*  with  some  measure  of  success,  never  per- 
mitting the  deluge  of  knowledge  to  quench  the  inner 
light  of  the  spirit,  nor  to  subdue  the  native  activity 
of  the  mind,  they  will  be  so  much  the  better  equipped 
for  the  work  of  life.  In  every  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association,  and  in  every  university,  are  to  be  found 
men  who  are  colossal  sponges,  absorbing  all  the  know- 


Self-Activity  and  Environment    H5 

ledge  and  inspiration  which  the  various  classes  or 
exercises  afford,  but  valuable  neither  to  themselves 
nor  to  others,  except  as  receivers  of  surplus  products. 
They  are  hearers  only  and  have  long  since  lost  the 
power  of  keen  initiative  and  vigorous  execution.  Bach 
student  is  likely  to  find  in  his  own  nature  something 
which  responds  heartily,  hopefully,  and  helpfully  to 
the  call  which  environment  makes  upon  his  native 
self- activity.  When  I  think  of  the  multitude  of  things 
the  world  offers  to  be  learned,  I  am  reminded  of  a  scene 
in  a  schoolroom.  A  little  girl  was  looking  off  her  book 
in  a  thoughtful  way,  musing  no  doubt  on  some  topic 
dear  to  a  child's  mind.  "  What  are  you  doing, 
I^ucy  ?  ' '  said  the  teacher.  ' '  I  am  only  thinking, ' '  said 
she.  "Come!  come!  Lucy,  this  is  no  place  for  think- 
ing." The  story  may  be  true  or  false,  but  the  lesson 
points  a  truth  which  we  cannot  afford  to  ignore.  In 
the  multitude  of  things  we  must  not  forget,  that  to 
think  is  to  live. 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE  SENSES 

THE  senses  are  the  great  collectors  of  material  for 
the  mental  life.  Milton's  statement  that  poetry  should 

be  simple,  sensuous,  and  passionate,  applies 
,n  rt°"  just  as  well  to  the  poetry  of  human  life,  and 

if  the  senses  are  trained  to  be  true  they  will 
bring  into  the  growing  mind  an  abundance  of  material 
of  the  most  accurate  character.  They  will  help  to  give 
accuracy  to  every  impression,  definiteness  to  every  idea, 
and  clearness  to  the  thought  because  the  thought  ma- 
terial is  definitely  and  accurately  presented  to  the  mind. 
The  bodily  life  becomes  fine,  the  mental  life  becomes 
fruitful,  just  as  they  are  touched  with  sound  emotion. 
' '  It  is  the  wholesome  human  passion  which  makes  the 
simple  sensuous  life  beautiful."  The  absence  of  this 
passion  dooms  the  tired  worker  to  drag  an  endless  chain 
through  a  weary  day,  month,  year,  lifetime.  The 
senses  become  the  means  by  which  rich  and  useful 
material  is  passed  to  the  mind  for  elaboration.  Many 
an  eloquent  sermon,  many  a  fine  bit  of  teaching,  much 
that  is  wholesome  and  healthful  in  life,  is  lost  because 
the  senses  fail  to  do  their  work :  the  ear  does  not  hear, 

146 


The  Senses  H7 

the  eye  does  not  see,  the  touch  does  not  report  truly. 
Because  of  these  inaccurate  or  defective  reports  which 
the  senses  bring,  mental  alertness  is  impossible,  and 
the  mind  settles  down  to  a  sort  of  sodden  condition, 
out  of  which  it  is  impossible  that  there  should  come 
any  bright,  strong,  and  greatly  alive  action.  But  the 
senses  may  be  too  finely  trained  and  the  nervous  system 
too  delicately  wrought,  for  as  things  come  storming  at 
the  gates  of  sense  there  is  a  perfect  bombardment  of 
the  mental  life,  and  we  find  ourselves  unable  to  dispose 
of  one  set  of  ideas  before  another  troop  comes  charging 
in  upon  us.  The  only  protection  for  the  conscience 
and  the  only  safety  for  the  mind  is  to  cultivate  the 
habit  of  neglecting  such  sensations  as  cannot  minister 
to  our  instruction  or  growth.  We  must  even  neglect 
words,  for  a  word  is  the  sign  of  an  idea,  and  as  these 
come  thronging  in  upon  the  mind  they  set  up  an 
activity  which,  if  out  of  harmony  with  the  best  within, 
will  stir  a  veritable  storm  of  thought.  But  what  is  the 
character  of  the  selective  agent  ?  Why  is  it  that  a  land- 
scape suggests  to  one  man  agriculture,  and  to  another 
art,  and  to  a  third  wealth  ?  Kach  man  finds  in  every 
landscape  what  he  brings.  Every  sense  has  been 
taught  to  carry  its  own  message  and  to  carry  no  other 
messages  that  have  presented  themselves. 

The  touch  should  be  delicate,  true,  and  firm:  deli- 
cate, that  there  may  be  fine  discrimination 
and  close,  accurate  judgments;  true,  in  the 
sense  that  it  is  comprehensive  and  reliable,  bearing  in 


148          Up  Through  Childhood 

to  the  brain  all  the  messages  that  it  ought  to  carry; 
firm,  that  there  may  be  mental  grasp  and  that  its 
message  may  merit  confidence. 

The  law  to  be  observed  in  the  cultivation  of  taste  is 
rather  the  development  of  a  few  simple,  strong,  and 

accurate  tastes,  than  a  mere  artificial  and 
Taste. 

uncertain  development  of  a  great  number. 

Nature  itself  takes  care  of  the  development  of  taste  if 
we  allow  her  the  privilege.  The  most  painful  com- 
ment on  our  civilisation  is  the  great  number  of 
artificial  tastes  which  it  insists  upon  cultivating.  A 
thousand  things  which  do  not  contribute  to  wholesome 
life  are  desired  and  insisted  upon  to  a  degree  which 
makes  it  impossible  for  the  simple  and  natural  desires 
of  the  body  to  have  their  manifestation  and  receive 
their  desires.  Not  long  ago  a  lady  was  sitting  in  a 
street  car  with  a  child  by  her  side.  It  was  a  bright, 
healthy  child.  The  mother  tasted  a  bit  of  candy  and 
offered  some  to  the  little  thing  with  its  wholesome 
natural  tastes.  The  hand  was  pushed  aside  and  the 
candy  declined,  but  the  mother  said:  "  Do  eat  some; 
see,  mamma  likes  it."  That  was  one  more  step  toward 
the  cultivation  of  an  artificial  taste,  toward  which  the 
simple  nature  of  the  child  had  no  inclination.  The 
same  things  may  be  said  of  various  kinds  of  food, 
drinks,  rich  gravies,  strong  spices,  and  many  of  the 
condiments,  which  depend  for  their  sale  almost  wholly 
upon  the  demands  of  tastes  which  have  been  artificially 
cultivated.  Where  men  eat  to  live  the  strong  whole- 


The  Senses  149 

some  life,  these  things  naturally  sink  to  a  secondary 
place.  I  was  once  sitting  at  the  table  of  a  friend 
where  we  had  just  eaten  a  very  wholesome  dinner. 
The  dessert  was  custard  pie,  and  a  vigorous,  full- 
blooded  boy  of  five  had  already  enjoyed  a  second  help- 
ing. In  his  impetuous  fashion  he  said:  "  Ma,  may 
I  have  another  piece  ?  "  Instead  of  definitely  refusing 
or  granting  his  request,  she  said:  "Wait,  my  child, 
until  all  the  others  have  been  helped,  and  then  your 
turn  will  come  if  there  is  any  left."  For  twenty 
minutes  that  boy  sat  longing  and  hoping  for  another 
piece.  This  had  the  effect  of  cultivating  a  longing 
which  should  have  been  gratified  or  as  definitely  re- 
fused, and  this  longing  she  cultivated  while  she  thought 
she  was  cultivating  generosity  and  self-control.  The 
habits  of  eating  may  be  very  largely  placed  under  dis- 
cipline by  a  wise  guidance.  The  whole  range  of  animal 
appetite,  strong,  vigorous,  and  tyrannical,  can,  with 
wise  teaching,  be  compelled  to  shape  itself  in  harmony 
with  the  highest  life. 

It  is  a  curious  fact  that  the  power  of  smell  is  one  of 
the  most  necessary  and  valuable  of  all  our  possessions. 
Though  its  range  of  application  is  narrow, 
it  affords  protection  and  develops  a  close  dis- 
crimination altogether  beyond  the  ordinary  limits  of  its 
supposed  excellence.     There  are  few  kinds  of  memory 
that  are  so  persistent  and  completely  recognised  as  the 
memory  of  odours,  and  this  power  if  rightly  applied 
may  contribute  in  many  a  dull  hour  to  a  high  form  of 


1S°          Up  Through  Childhood 

aesthetic  enjoyment.  The  protective  value  of  this  sense 
is  readily  recognised  when  we  know  the  great  number 
of  unhealthful  substances  in  air  and  food,  from  which 
we  are  warned  to  turn  away  by  this  careful  guardian 
of  our  health  and  comfort.  The  aesthetic  value  is  not 
small,  and  whoever  has  inhaled  the  fragrance  of  the 
new-mown  hay,  and  drawn  into  his  nostrils  the  delight- 
ful odours  of  the  spring,  summer,  and  autumn  as  they 
are  found  in  an  attractive  country,  recognises  a  store 
of  memories  which  give  cheer  and  comfort,  and  which 
may  serve  as  standards  of  measurement  in  the  later 
experiences  of  life.  But  there  are  many  petty  notions 
and  whimsical  ideas  which  people  have  cultivated  in 
themselves  with  the  simple  purpose  of  being  peculiar, 
and  this  is  nowhere  more  in  evidence  than  in  the  com- 
plaints as  to  various  odours,  particularly  those  that  are 
necessary  and  to  a  degree  wholesome  in  the  kitchen 
and  dining-room. 

One  of  the  leading  writers  on  evolution  has  demon- 
strated that  man  has  physically  reached  his  highest 
limit  because  we  now  no  longer  improve  the 
sight,  but  add  to  its  power  by  means  of  the 
telescope  and  the  microscope.  However  that  may  be, 
any  thoughtful  teacher  must  sympathise  with  the  Ger- 
man Emperor  when  he  says  that  no  healthy  man  has  a 
right  to  look  on  the  world  through  glasses,  that  good 
health  to  the  body  means  good  health  to  the  eye. 
Sight  has  much  to  do  for  any  individual,  and  a  clear- 
and  true-seeing  eye  brings  to  him  messages  of  the 


The  Senses  15 l 

greatest  value.  Near  seeing  and  far  seeing  both  have 
their  high  offices,  and  the  near-sighted  man  who  by 
means  of  glasses  may  be  able  to  recognise  his  friends 
at  a  distance  and  to  see  the  beauty,  verdure,  and  come- 
liness of  this  fair  earth  finds  that  he  has  entered  upon  a 
new  inheritance.  There  is  a  general  and  a  detailed 
method  of  seeing,  and  many  a  man  who  has  travelled 
for  years  on  an  accustomed  road  finds  to  his  surprise 
that  a  friend  trained  to  detailed  inspection  can  call  his 
attention  at  the  first  journey  to  hundreds  of  things 
which  he  now  sees  for  the  first  time.  There  is  not  only 
this  outer  seeing,  there  is  a  power  of  sight  which  be- 
longs to  the  mind.  There  is  a  definite  way  of  penetrat- 
ing things,  of  taking  hold  upon  them  in  a  forceful  and 
interesting  way,  so  that  by  means  of  the  outer  excita- 
tions we  are  able  to  call  up  from  our  experience  a  score 
of  details  to  fill  a  picture  until  it  is  true  and  lifelike. 
In  the  chapter  on  * '  What  Is  Man  ?  "  we  have  spoken  of 
the  eye  hunger,  which  is  keener  in  the  period  of  early 
childhood  than  at  any  other  time,  and  which,  if  then 
properly  gratified,  will  result  throughout  life  in  a  bet- 
ter recognition  of  the  world  around  than  could  ever 
come  without  its  training.  The  open  eye  is  a  gift  to 
be  greatly  sought,  and  is  surpassed  only  by  the  open 
mind.  It  is  not  enough  that  the  eye  should  be  open  to 
the  things  about  it,  but  it  must  dwell  for  a  sufficient 
length  of  time  upon  objects  presented  so  that  careful  and 
accurate  knowledge  may  be  obtained.  There  is  no 
possible  hope  of  securing  the  full  benefit  of  observing 


152          Up  Through  Childhood 

without  that  degree  of  leisure  and  that  degree  of  ap- 
plication which  will  insure  a  pretty  fair  disposition  of 
any  one  topic  before  another  is  attempted.  The  greatest 
penalty  that  city  life  visits  upon  the  senses  of  our  child- 
ren is  the  sudden  and  abrupt  change  in  the  subjects 
of  attention.  The  town  child  goes  from  show-window 
to  show-window  or  from  object  to  object  with  such 
haste  that  there  is  not  time  for  the  mental  reaction 
which  would  really  benefit  him.  The  country  child 
has,  on  the  contrary,  few  objects  for  consideration  and  is 
likely  to  ponder  each  one  until  he  has  gathered  an  in- 
terpretation of  its  meaning  and  wrought  out  its  lesson 
for  his  use  in  later  life.  The  sudden  and  abrupt  break- 
ing off  of  attention  must  lead  to  carelessness  of  observa- 
tion, inaccuracy  of  perception,  and  general  flightiness 
of  mind. 

We  are  coming  to  see  the  importance  of  training  the 
eye  and  ear  together,  and  here  and  there  we  are  dimly 

coming  to  know  that  there  are  children  who 
Hearing. 

are  ear-minded  and  others  who  are  eye- 
minded.  Not  only  does  there  come  to  such  children 
desire  to  see,  but  at  a  certain  stage  of  their  lives  the  ear 
is  hungry  for  sounds,  and  a  certain  rhythm  of  words  or 
sounds  will  sing  itself  over  and  over  in  their  minds, 
giving  them  keen  delight.  In  the  special  age  of  ear- 
mindedness  we  find  the  time  for  all  kinds  of  memory 
work,  and  then  have  need  to  give  training  in  the 
learning  of  memory  gems,  maxims,  and  adages,  and 
the  whole  range  of  beautiful  and  noble  utterances, 


The  Senses  153 

with  the  assurance  that  the  child  shall  be  enriched 
forever  by  these  exercises  which  we  offer.  The  very 
earnest  desire  which  these  ear- minded  children  have 
for  pleasing  sounds  leads  to  their  catching  slang 
and  giddy  phrases  and  chaffy  songs  if  something 
better  be  not  supplied.  Any  thoughtful  person  will 
greatly  appreciate  the  value  of  ear  longings  and  avail 
himself  of  the  disposition  to  meet  this  new  and  worthy 
need.  Children's  jingles  and  pleasing  sounds  ought  to 
come  in  their  own  good  time,  that  later  life  may  be 
enriched. 

I  have  emphasised  now  the  importance  of  a  delicate, 
true,  and  firm  touch,  of  a  taste  wholesome,  simple,  and 
natural,  of  such  cultivation  of  the  sense  of 
smell  as  will  make  it  able  to  assert  its  true 
value  as  a  protective  and  an  aesthetic  agency  while  sub- 
duing the  whimsical  and  the  petty.  I  have  spoken  of 
the  value  of  near  and  of  far  seeing,  emphasising  the 
importance  of  exact  observation,  and  showing  that 
there  is  a  period  of  eye  hunger  and  of  ear  hunger  in  the 
course  of  human  experience  which  must  be  gratified  in 
order  to  serve  for  the  highest  development.  I  have 
tried  to  emphasise  the  importance  of  accurate  observa- 
tion, and  to  show  that  the  practical  educational  work  can 
take  place  only  among  those  surroundings  which  allow 
time  for  the  educational  reaction  which  takes  place  in 
periods  of  comparative  leisure.  There  can  be  no  rapid 
hit-and-miss  work  in  the  development  of  any  one  of  the 
senses.  I  have  tried  to  emphasise  the  importance  of 


154          Up  Through  Childhood 

training  the  eye  and  the  ear  together,  and  have,  I  trust, 
made  clear  that  there  are  many  students  who  with  their 
ear-mindedness  must  be  trained  through  the  ear,  and 
many  others  who  because  of  eye-mindedness  must  be 
approached  through  the  eye. 


CHAPTER  XII 

ATTENTION 

CONSCIOUSNESS  has  been  defined  as  awareness,  and 
attention  as  a  focusing  of  consciousness.  When  the 
mind  is  directed  toward  any  object,  we  term  that 
action  of  the  mind  "  attention."  Attention,  then,  is 
an  attitude  of  the  mind.  Hear  Carlyle:  "Thy  very 
attention,  does  it  not  mean  attentio,  a  stretching  to? 
Fancy  that  act  of  the  mind,  which  all  were  conscious 
of,  which  none  had  yet  named, — when  this  new  poet 
first  felt  bound  and  driven  to  name  it!  His  question- 
able originality  and  glowing  metaphor  was  adoptable, 
intelligible;  and  remains  our  name  for  it  to  this  day." 

Attention  is  voluntary,  involuntary,  expectant,  and 
dispersed.     Voluntary  attention  is  the  result  of  will, 
and   acts    promptly   and    definitely.      The         Kinds 
mind  comes  in  contact  with  the  matter  to 
which  it  attends  by  a  series  of  dashes  or  charges;  like 
a  bouncing  ball  it  strikes  against  the  object  for  con- 
sideration and  springs  away  again,  only  to  be  returned 
again  and  again  by  the  action  of  the  will.     Voluntary 
attention  cannot  be  sustained  for  any  great  length  of 
time,  as  it  depends  only  upon  the  will,  prompted  by 

155 


156  Up  Through  Childhood 

the  sense  of  duty  or  profit,  or  other  external  incentive. 
Soon  it  will  cease,  or  change  to  involuntary  attention. 

* '  Because  people  are  attentive  when  strong  interest 
is  roused,  there  is  a  common  idea  that  attention  is 
Attention  natural,  and  inattention  a  culpable  fault, 
must  be  But  the  boy's  mind  is  much  like  a  frolick- 

aug  '  ing  puppy,  always  in  motion,  restless,  but 
never  in  the  same  position  two  minutes  together, 
when  really  awake.  Naturally  his  body  partakes  of 
this  unsettled  character.  Attention  is  a  lesson  to  be 
learned,  and  quite  as  much  a  matter  of  training  as  any 
other  lesson.  A  teacher  will  be  saved  much  useless 
friction  if  he  acknowledges  this  fact,  and,  instead  of 
expecting  attention  which  he  will  not  get,  starts  at  once 
with  the  intention  of  teaching  it." — THRING. 

Involuntary  attention  depends  upon  interest  and 
may  continue  for  an  indefinite  period.  It  lies  along 
the  lines  of  one's  native  interests,  and  in 
Att  t'  ^  *kis  is  found  the  great  value  of  making  these 
interests  as  wide  as  possible.  The  condition 
which  prompts  to  a  sense  of  ownership  in  ideas,  sights, 
and  opinions  goes  far  to  enlarge  mental  life,  and  the 
student  who  has  been  so  trained  will  attend  with  real 
pleasure  to  a  wide  range  of  statements,  accounts,  or  ex- 
periences which  would  be  altogether  ignored  by  the  un- 
trained. The  great  end  in  the  training  of  attention  is 
to  make  possible  a  strong  involuntary  attention  in  many 
lines.  Here  is  a  striking  illustration  of  involuntary  at- 
tention. In  his  palmy  days,  S.  S.  Prentiss  of  Mississippi 


Attention  157 

was  a  most  magnetic  orator.  One  day  when  he  was 
addressing  a  public  meeting,  an  old  gentleman  took 
out  his  watch  and  noted  the  time;  just  then  something 
that  the  orator  said  riveted  his  attention,  and  the  watch 
was  forgotten.  Soon,  as  it  seemed  to  him,  the  orator 
finished  his  speech  with  the  sentence,  "  My  powers 
fail."  The  chain  of  his  attention  was  broken,  and  the 
eyes  sought  his  watch  only  to  find  that  the  orator  had 
been  speaking  three  hours  and  fifteen  minutes  and  that 
he  had  held  his  watch  in  his  hand  all  this  time. 

There  is  another  phase  of  this  matter  called  ex- 
pectant attention,  to  which  I  have  before  referred.  In 
this  the  mind  dwells  upon  something  that  is 
expected  and  done  to  bring  that  to  pass 
which  is  dreaded  or  desired.  It  is  well 
known  that  the  thought  of  an  ache  or  pain  in  any  part 
of  the  body  may  soon  be  replaced  by  the  reality,  par- 
ticularly in  those  who  are  of  a  sensitive  or  nervous  dis- 
position. The  great  market  for  patent  medicines  in 
our  country  is  based  upon  this  principle  of  suggestion. 
Indeed  the  regular  physician  gets  much  better  results 
from  his  medicines  when  the  patient  expects  a  cure.  A 
teacher  in  one  of  the  large  schools  for  colored  students 
recently  told  me  that  they  are  compelled  to  send  home 
those  who  think  they  have  been  "conjured."  The 
idea  takes  very  strong  hold  upon  these  students,  and 
in  most  cases  death  confirms  their  belief. 

The  particular  value  of   expectant   attention  will 
readily  appeal  to  the  teacher.     Children  are  specially 


158          Up  Through  Childhood 

liable  to  the  evil  or  good  effects  of  the  expectant  mental 
state.  Their  attention  should  be  diverted  from  per- 
sonal pain,  from  the  unhealthy,  the  morbid,  the  vicious 
in  every  line,  and  turned  to  that  which  is  clean,  hope- 
ful, and  inspiring.  Not  only  this  in  all  schools,  but  it 
is  of  the  highest  importance  so  to  place  a  student  in 
such  relation  to  his  fellows  that  he  may  succeed  in  the 
work  which  he  undertakes.  That  one  should  expect  to 
fail  in  the  work  that  he  is  doing  day  by  day  is  one  of 
the  saddest  commentaries  upon  a  civilisation  which 
we  call  enlightened.  Expectation  of  the  whole  being 
should  tend  toward  aspiration,  accomplishment,  and 
success. 

There  is  another  feature  of  attention  which  deserves 
consideration.  It  is  that  condition  of  the  mind  by 
which  we  are  able  to  hold  ready  for  use  all  the  im- 
portant statements  or  knowledge  which  we  have  re- 
ceived. I  can  call  it  by  no  better  term  than  "capacity. ' ' 
Practice  in  this  line  results  in  remarkable  development, 
and  as  the  student  listens  he  finds  that  he  has  "  gained 
an  abyss  where  a  dewdrop  was  asked." 

The  term  "dispersed  attention  "  is  used  to  describe 

that  state  of  consciousness  in  which  one  gazes  dreamily 

off  into  space,  giving  thought  to  no  one  thing 

Dispersed    more  than  another  an(j  aimost  indifferent  to 

Attention. 

things  near  and  far.     It  is  not  the  same  as 

day-dreaming;  it  even  more  successfully  spends  one's 
time  without  profit,  and  for  the  most  part  without 
pleasure.  In  all  the  range  of  mental  manifestation 


Attention  159 

there  is  hardly  another  form  that  is  so  mildly  negative. 
It  reminds  one  of  the  chemist's  definition  of  nitrogen — 
"  a  gas,  colourless,  tasteless,  odourless." 

The  following  test  will  illustrate.  This  morning 
you  are  to  go  again  over  the  path  which  you  have 
traversed  a  hundred  times.  Try  to  see  how  Attention 

many  new  things  it  offers  and  you  will  be  Det«rmines 

the  Current 
astonished  to  find  a  great  number  of  objects     Of  Mental 

which  you  have  never  before  noticed;  the  at-  Life- 

tention  has  simply  ignored  them.  As  is  well  known, 
feeling  plays  a  large  part  in  the  mental  life,  but  any 
feeling  which  is  constantly  ignored  will  in  course  of 
time  take  a  minor  position;  and  since  feeling  determines 
so  much  of  conduct,  if  a  certain  feeling  be  ignored  the 
action  which  would  be  prompted  by  that  feeling  will  be 
largely  excluded;  thus  attention  may  be  instrumental 
in  determining  conduct.  It  is  well  known  that  we  re- 
member chiefly  those  things  to  which  we  give  attention. 
Outside  of  the  range  of  our  native  interests,  the  memory 
may  be  greatly  strengthened  by  giving  close  attention 
to  old  experiences  when  these  are  introduced  into  the 
mind.  This  kind  of  attention  provides  for  close  re- 
lationships and  makes  memory  strong  through  the  laws 
of  association.  Reasoning,  too,  depends  largely  upon 
attention  for  its  direction  and  for  the  soundness  of  its 
conclusions.  Attention  will  bring  the  mind  to  rich 
collections  of  facts  on  which  a  sound  conclusion  may 
be  based.  The  greatness  of  many  men  consists  not 
so  much  in  a  strong  mental  endowment  as  in  that 


i6o          Up  Through  Childhood 

command  of  the  mind  which  enables  them  to  direct  the 
mind  to  specific  and  desirable  objects.  All  men  have  a 
storm  of  sights  and  sounds  making  constant  demands 
upon  the  attention,  and  only  the  man  who  is  great 
enough  to  ignore  the  trivial  ones  is  able  to  reserve  to 
his  mental  life  that  scope  for  exercise  in  which  his 
energies  may  be  centred  upon  a  special  line  of  thought 
or  action. 

It  is  generally  assumed  that  attention  is  a  very  good 
thing  and  inattention  a  very  bad  one,  but  only  by  at- 
Attention  tending  to  ^ie  few  things,  instead  of  hold- 
and  In-  ing  to  the  many,  are  we  able  to  make  any 
attention,  advancement.  Indeed  the  ability  to  ignore 
the  greater  number  of  things  in  this  constant  bombard- 
ment is  the  secret  of  health  to  both  mind  and  soul. 
While  this  is  true,  it  will  not  do  for  one  to  plume 
himself  upon  his  excellence  because  he  does  not  give 
satisfactory  attention.  Excellence  consists  in  giving 
attention  only  to  the  right  things,  and  the  power  of  at- 
tention is  the  surest  proof  of  genius. 

A  man  is  not  a  genius  because  he  gives  attention,  he 
gives  attention  because  he  is  a  genius.  But  even  a 
Genius  genius  can  ill  afford  to  give  attention  to  un- 
and  profitable  things.  The  only  hope  for  sus- 

Attenhon.  tained  attention  is  that  the  subject  is  to  have 
something  worth  hearing  and  to  have  the  mind  pre- 
pared for  the  presentation  of  the  matter.  When  the 
mind  is  ready  for  new  knowledge,  it  waits  for  its  coming 
as  the  ear  for  the  footstep  long  expected:  we  hear  it  at 


Attention  161 

its  farthest  approach.  This  setting  of  the  mind,  like 
the  trigger  of  a  gun  that  the  whole  force  may  go  true 
to  the  mark,  is  one  of  the  happy  arts  of  the  wise 
teacher.  The  following  suggestions  will  not  only  be 
helpful  to  the  teacher  in  directing  the  class,  but  they 
will  give  him  a  clearer  understanding  of  attention. 

1.  The  mind  should  be  prepared  for  the  introduction 
of  all  new  material.     This  may  be  done  by  calling  up 
in  the  mind  of  the  child: 

(a)  Closely  related  knowledge. 

(b)  Scenes  which  will  serve  as  interpreters. 

(c)  Feelings  similar  to  those  likely  to  be  called  up  by 
the  presentation  of  new  knowledge. 

2.  Every  new  subject  should  be  introduced  by  object 
or  illustration. 

3.  Keep  the  pupil  with  you  eye  to  eye,  except  when 
he  glances  now  and  then  upon  the  object  which  you 
use  for  illustration.     But  it  is  not  enough  that  his  eye 
seek  your  face;  by  questions  and  answers  unexpected 
as  to  time  and  place,  you  must  assure  yourself  that  his 
mind  also  follows.     Many  a  boy  will  look  you  earnestly 
in  the  face  while  he  industriously  counts  the  marbles 
in  his  pocket. 

4.  Do  not  present  many  ideas  in  any  exercise.     Com- 
pactness of  thought  is   a  condition  of  intensity  of 
attention. 

5.  Study  ways  of  rousing  the  curiosity  of  the  pupil. 
If  you  use  illustrative  material,  see  that  it  is  concealed 
from  the  student  until  you  are  ready  for  its  use. 


1 62          Up  Through  Childhood 

6.  Be  careful  to  vary  your  methods.     Do  not  get  into 
such  a  rut  that  the  student  can  always  tell  what  you 
are  going  to  say  or  do.     Attention  must  be  transferred 
from  one  topic  to  another.     L,et  exercises  on  each  topic 
be  brief. 

7.  Be  interested  yourself.     Interest  and  the  attention 
which  it  develops  are  contagious,  provided  that  the 
material  presented  is  suited  to  the  state  of  development, 
emotional  condition,  and  native  interest  of  the  student. 
If  not  suited  to  him,  there  will  be  no  interest.     Valuable 
as  is  the  interest  of  the  teacher  in  the  subject,  it  must 
not  be  mistaken  for  the  interest  of  the  child.     Many  a 
teacher  has  gone  on  with  the  lesson  in  a  most  hearty 
and  self-satisfied  fashion,  because  he  has  been  enjoying 
it,  while  the  child  has  been  kept  from  showing  how 
much  he  is  bored,  by  his  native  courtesy  or  by  fear  of 
reproof.     A  teacher  who  has  very  carefully  outlined  the 
lesson  and  given  much  attention  to  the  work  he  has 
planned,  thinks  it  must  perforce  be  interesting.     That 
is  in  no  sense  true;  it  is  simply  something  attractive  to 
himself,  and  he  may  learn  on  questioning  the  students 
that  they  have  received  neither  enjoyment  nor  profit 
out  of  his  lesson. 

Mental  activity  is  a  necessary  condition  of  mental 
life,  and  with  favouring  conditions  and  satisfactory 
variety  attention  is  one  of  the  things  which  we  may 
reasonably  expect.  But  it  is  sad  enough  when  the 
teacher  is  the  one  who  distracts  the  attention.  This 
may  be  done  by: 


Attention  163 

(a)  References  to  outside  matters. 

(b)  By  scolding  the  students. 

(c)  By  bad  location,  as  when  the  students  are  in  a 
large  room  with  their  eyes  naturally  directed  toward 
some  object  of  native  interest. 

(d)  By  talking  too  much;    many  words   obscure 
thought. 

(e)  And  last  but  not  least,  in  many  schools  there  are 
frequent  interruptions  from  the  desk;  various  kinds  of 
outside  interferences  in  the  class  by  the  officers  of  the 
school.     I  have  more  than  once  seen  the  work  of  a 
whole  class  stopped  while  the  superintendent  or  pastor 
took  time  to  shake  hands  with  the  different  members 
of  the  class  and  inquire  about  the  health  of  absent 
members  of  the  family.     In  some  of  our  better  schools 
to-day  visitors  are  not  admitted  to  the  classes  except  at 
the  beginning  with  the  expectation  that  they  will  re- 
main to  the  close  of  the  session. 

The  success  of  a  specialist  depends  upon  his  power 
to  ignore  demands  emanating  beyond  the  limits  of  his 
field. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

APPERCEPTION 

THE  sum  of  one's  ideas,  moods,  feelings,  and  ex- 
periences measures  his  power  to  interpret  knowledge 
and  to  adapt  himself  to  new  conditions.  A  man 
rightly  furnished  in  these  particulars  may  manifest  a 
narrow  spirit,  but  no  man  however  broad  his  spirit  can 
really  be  broad-minded  unless  he  has  a  wide  range  of 
ideas,  feelings,  and  experiences.  The  dominant  inter- 
est in  each  of  the  following  characters  explains  his 
special  power  of  interpretation. 

"  The  botanist  sees  much  in  a  plant;  the  horse-dealer 
in  a  horse;  the  musician  hears  much  in  a  piece  of 
orchestral  music,  of  whose  presence  in  the  sense-per- 
ception the  layman  has  no  idea.  From  the  same 
story  each  hearer  interprets  something  different;  out 
of  the  same  laws  each  party  interprets  its  right;  the 
same  turn  of  battle  is  proclaimed  by  both  armies  as  a 
victory;  out  of  the  same  book  of  nature  the  different 
readers,  men  and  people,  have  gathered  the  most 
diverse  things." — VOI<KMANN,  quoted  by  GORDY. 

Apperception  is  the  process  by  which  new  know- 
ledge is  introduced  into  the  mind  and  interpreted  by 

164 


Apperception  165 

means  of  that  which  is  already  there.     Past  experience 
has  high  value  in  interpreting  new  ideas,  feelings,  and 

ideals.     Every  man  is  limited  in  his  power 

Definition. 

to  see  the  truth  in  proportion  as  his  hori- 
zon is  restricted.  This  principle  emphasises  the  great 
value  to  be  derived  from  excursions,  from  travel,  from 
meeting  new  or  strange  men,  things,  and  conditions. 
These  in  their  own  peculiar  way  afford  opportunity  for 
the  unfolding  of  the  best  in  a  man's  life;  whatever  the 
past  has  gathered  of  marvel  or  surprise  becomes  by 
elaboration  in  the  process  of  years  a  part  of  the  perman- 
ent spiritual  possessions  and  may  be  used  as  an  inter- 
preter of  new  things.  We  remember  that  a  man  with 
a  certain  cast  of  countenance  pursued  a  certain  course 
of  behaviour  and  after  some  thought  we  conclude  that 
there  is  a  relationship  between  countenance  and  char- 
acter, and  just  in  proportion  as  we  have  known  and 
interpreted  the  springs  of  action  in  one  human  breast 
may  we  be  able  to  interpret  the  springs  of  action  in  the 
breast  of  one  who  is  similar  in  thought,  expression, 
and  conduct. 

This  phase  of  the  subject  is  well  presented  in  Range's 
Apperception :  "  It  is  a  well  known  experience  that  one 
and  the  same  object  seldom  occasions  pre-  £        Q 
cisely  similar  perceptions  in  the  minds  of        Carries 
different  people.     Of  the  same  landscape  the       his  Own 
poet's  image  would  differ  greatly  from  that 
of  the  botanist,  the  painter's  from  that  of  the  geologist 
or  the  farmer,  the  stranger's  from  that  of  him  who  calls 


1 66          Up  Through  Childhood 

it  home.  In  the  same  way,  oue  and  the  same  speech 
is  often  understood  in  as  many  different  ways  as  there 
are  hearers.  What  does  not  the  child  see  in  his  toys, 
the  devout  mind  in  the  objects  of  his  devotion!  What 
does  not  the  experienced  reader  of  human  nature  see  in 
the  wrinkles  and  folds,  the  wilted  and  weather-beaten 
features  of  the  human  face!  How  much  do  the  gest- 
ures, the  play  of  features,  the  glowing  or  fading  fire  of 
the  eye,  tell  him  of  the  battles  and  storms  of  the  soul!  " 
There  is  an  everlasting  struggle  in  every  mind  be- 
tween the  tendency  to  keep  unchanged  and  the  tendency 
The  to  conform.  Our  life  is  ceaselessly  surging 

Struggle,  between  the  conservative  and  the  progress- 
ive forces,  and  at  last  we  yield.  There  is  a  deep 
philosophy  in  the  words  of  Byron : 


My  very  chains  and  I  grew  friends, 
So  much  a  long  communion  tends 
To  make  us  what  we  are  ;  even  I 
Regained  my  freedom  with  a  sigh. 


It  is  difficult  to  make  new  classifications  for  our 
knowledge  and  to  supply  new  heads  for  cataloguing, 
New  when  new  experiences  come  to  us.  With 

Classes  for  the  passing  years  we  become  more  and  more 
Knowledge. enslaved.  old  fogyisni)  or  nxedness  of  ideas, 

is  the  destination  to  which  we  all  are  tending.  While 
rich  experience  gives  a  vast  amount  of  apperceptive 
material,  those  who  are  far  along  in  life  are  disposed  to 
ignore  new  interpretations  of  it.  Instead  of  permitting 


Apperception  167 

the  new  to  have  some  part  in  shaping  our  ideas  and  to 
give  us  a  product  different  from  the  new  or  old,  we  are 
disposed  to  compel  that  which  we  could  learn  as  new 
to  unite  with  some  fixed  form  of  the  old.  "  Genius,  in 
truth,  means  little  more  than  the  faculty  of  perceiving 
in  an  unhabitual  way." 

It  is  a  maxim  in  pedagogy  to  offer  every  piece  of  new 
knowledge  to  satisfy  some  pre-existing  curiosity.  And 
it  is  often  a  teacher's  most  important  work  Prepare 
to  arouse  in  the  student's  mind  at  the  time  the  Mind 
of  assigning  the  lesson  such  a  desire  or  feel-  °  eceive* 
ing  of  inquiry  as  will  lead  him  to  crave  study.  There 
is  no  wiser  expenditure  of  time  than  that  which  pre- 
pares the  child  at  one  recitation  for  the  instruction  to 
be  given  at  the  next.  If  the  general  direction  which 
the  new  lesson  is  to  take  and  something  of  its  scope 
and  purpose  be  defined,  the  child  will  master  the  lesson 
with  far  greater  ease  and  in  less  time.  The  idea  of 
"Look  that  point  up  for  yourself"  has  been  carried 
altogether  too  far.  Particularly  in  the  adolescent 
period  the  child  has  a  great  host  of  problems  and  ideas 
which  he  is  working  out  for  himself,  and  any  contribu- 
tion of  knowledge  which  the  teacher  is  able  to  make 
will  be  welcome  to  both  mind  and  heart.  It  seems 
wisest  to  set  the  metes  and  bounds  of  the  child's  lesson 
and  indicate  the  general  direction,  then  let  him  work 
it  out  for  himself  carefully  and  conscientiously.  In 
order  to  provide  abundant  exercise  for  independent 
effort,  there  should  be  a  certain  number  of  original 


1 68  Up  Through  Childhood 

problems,  questions,  or  assignments  on  which  he  may 
work  if  time  allows  and  interest  prompts.  To  arouse 
an  interest  in  a  subject  is  the  great  secret  of  successful 
work.  It  is  the  old  question  of  the  awaited  footstep 
and  the  set  trigger,  discussed  under  Attention. 

The  apperception  of  a  certain  piece  of  knowledge  by 
the  mind  of  the  student  depends,  first,  upon  the  char- 
How  Ap-  acter  of  the  material;  second,  upon  the  age 
perception  of  the  student — that  is,  the  development  of 
the  mind;  third,  upon  the  state  of  the  mind 
and  heart  when  the  information  is  presented.  As  to 
the  character  of  the  material,  it  should  be  neither  too 
elementary  nor  too  advanced,  but  such  as  to  meet  with 
ready  reception  by  the  student  on  his  usual  plane  of 
thought.  There  are  various  stages  of  development 
corresponding  to  the  age  and  growth  of  the  child.  A 
thought  which  he  could  welcome  at  a  certain  time,  if 
presented  at  an  earlier  age  would  not  be  understood. 

It  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that  the  child's  mind 
and  heart  should  be  well  disposed  toward  the  know- 
ledge offered  by  the  teacher.  Herein  rests  the  import- 
ance of  affection  and  sympathy  between  the  teacher 
and  the  student.  What  is  known  as  good- will  is  often 
sufficient  to  cause  the  child  to  receive  heartily  that 
knowledge  which  the  teacher  wishes  to  present.  Not 
only  so,  but  the  teacher  should  avail  himself  of  all  the 
past  experiences  of  the  child  which  will  contribute  to 
the  understanding  and  appreciation  of  the  knowledge 
offered.  It  is  a  serious  error  to  introduce  into  the 


Apperception  169 

child's  life  a  bit  of  new  knowledge  or  new  experience 
so  violently  as  to  separate  the  old  and  the  new,  or  as  to 
destroy  the  old,  unless,  perchance,  it  was  wholly  evil. 
Herein  is  the  great  danger  of  rudely  introducing  new 
ideas  of  religion  into  the  mind  of  the  child.  For  this 
purpose  great  patience  is  needed,  and  if  sometimes  he 
does  not  follow  as  readily  as  you  could  wish,  time  for 
thought  and  gentleness  in  treatment  are  essential.  New 
ideas  should  be  introduced  so  smoothly,  clearly,  and 
gently  as  neither  to  mar  the  feeling  nor  warp  the  j  udg- 
ment  of  the  developing  student.  He  can  then  carry  into 
his  new  mental  life  the  strength  and  richness  gathered 
from  past  educational  experiences.  Every  teacher  should 
be  on  his  guard  lest  he  introduce  into  the  student's  mind 
perverted  and  unreasonable  statements  of  truth  which, 
when  the  child  begins  to  think  for  himself,  his  personal 
independence  and  integrity  of  thought  will  compel  him 
to  reject  violently.  Just  here  is  the  crucial  point  in 
dealing  with  the  religious  doubts  of  young  men.  In 
earlier  life  they  have  been  taught  to  accept  statements 
and  ideas  which  cannot  possibly  comport  with  sound 
common-sense.  When  they  begin  to  reason,  they  find 
that  one  statement  after  another  breaks  down,  and  they 
are  disposed  to  cast  away  the  whole  system,  since  some 
parts  contain  ideas  with  which  they  cannot  coincide. 
The  safeguard  against  all  this  is  to  permeate  all  teach- 
ing with  the  reasonable  spirit  and  to  welcome  doubt, 
when  it  is  sincere  and  natural,  as  a  step  in  the  learner's 
development. 


170          Up  Through  Childhood 

One  result  of  this  generous  spirit  and  wise  teaching  is 
that  education  becomes  a  permanent  interest  of  life  and 
Education  thought.  The  youth,  having  been  neither 

a  Per"  unduly  surfeited  with  knowledge  nor  left  to 
manent 

Interest  famish  for  lack  of  mental  nourishment,  has 
of  Life.  a  wholesome  appetite  for  all  ethical  and 
religious  things.  Such  teaching  and  such  an  attitude 
of  mind  will  go  far  to  insure  a  permanent  interest  in 
the  wide  range  of  literary  and  religious  truth  which 
the  Bible  offers.  To  the  learner  it  will  become  the 
best  interpreter  of  life's  deepest  and  most  sacred 
problems. 

Flower  out  of  the  crannied  wall,  I  pluck  you  out  of  the 

crannies, 

Hold  you  here  in  my  hand,  root  and  all,  little  flower ; 
But  if  I  could  understand  what  you  are,  root  and  all,  and  all  in 

all, 
I  should  know  what  God  and  man  is. 

TENNYSON. 

After  all,  the  first  condition  for  the  enrichment  of 
a  student's  life  is  that  he  shall  have  a  large  amount 

of  well  related  definite  knowledge.     Many 
Summary.  .  -  ...... 

teachers  pour  in  a  mass  of  facts,  thinking 

that  this  means  enrichment  and  education,  but  the  facts 
are  useless  unless  they  fall  into  due  relation.  It  is 
necessary  that  people  should  see  deeply.  The  world 
has  thousands  of  priests  but  few  prophets.  Many  peo- 
ple live  in  the  city  for  years  and  yet  do  not  know  their 
fellow  men  well.  A  like  condition  obtains  in  the  study 


Apperception  171 

of  Bible  characters  or  Bible  history,  and  the  result  is  a 
confused  mass  of  unrelated  knowledge.  It  is  better  to 
know  a  few  characters  well,  than  to  know  many  super- 
ficially. The  steps  in  the  teaching  process  are  these: 

1.  See  that  the  mind  of  the  learner  is  ready  for  the 
introduction  of  new  material. 

2.  Choose  the  right  material. 

(a)  As  to  character. 

(b)  As  to  stage  of  child's  development. 

3.  Present  this  material  when  the  child  is  in  the 
right  mood. 

4.  Give  an  abundance  of  good  material. 

The  poverty  of  thought  in  many  Sunday-school  les- 
sons and  in  many  day-school  lessons  accounts  for  the 
great  dislike  which  many  students  have  for  study. 
There  should  be  a  continual  rousing  of  the  mind  to  a 
consideration  of  the  new  relationships. 

Often  the  student  may  not  be  able  completely  to 
realise  the  new  relationship;  but  if  the  material  is  in- 
troduced at  the  right  age,  the  recognition  will  be  quite 
satisfactory,  and  his  growth  and  experience  will  com- 
plete it.  The  poet  speaks  truly  when  he  says  that  for 
any  man  to  enjoy  his  inheritance  he  must  first  earn  it. 
When  a  child  has  been  thus  taught,  his  knowledge  will 
spring  fresh  and  strong  to  his  mind.  Relationships 
will  be  named  because  they  are  recognised,  and  the 
child  will  feel  himself  rich  in  knowledge  because  his 
knowledge  is  at  call  and  is  suited  for  daily  use.  For 
one  to  teach,  while  ignoring  these  principles,  is  like 


i;2          Up  Through  Childhood 

playing  upon  a  violin  without  strings,  or  trying  to 
punip  water  into  a  kettle  which  has  the  lid  on.  All 
such  teaching  brings  the  student  to  a  slow  death,  like 
that  which  comes  from  the  fumes  of  a  charcoal  fire. 
To  teach  a  receptive  mind,  use  knowledge  in  a  clear 
manner,  with  full  recognition  of  the  relationships 
which  this  knowledge  bears  to  the  duties  and  uses  of 
life;  that  is  the  method  of  success  and  the  way  to 
happiness. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

INTEREST 

INTEREST  is  derived  from  mteresse,  which  means  "  in 
the  midst  of  being, "  or,  '  *  between  things. "    It  is  often 

taken  to  be  something   attachable  to  the 

Interest. 

object  of  interest.  We  speak  of  "  making 
things  interesting."  There  is  no  such  thing  as  mak- 
ing a  lesson  or  work  or  play  interesting.  The  interest 
is  in  the  person  and  not  in  the  thing.  It  is  true  that  a 
lesson  or  task  may  appeal  to  one,  but  the  basis  of  that 
appeal  is  found  in  the  nature  of  the  one  who  studies 
the  lesson  or  does  the  task. 

There  is  something  close  and  personal  in  interest — a 
kind  of  proprietorship  in  the  thing  in  which  we  are  in- 
terested. James  has  a  fine  classification  of  The 
the  "Selves,"  and  in  this  he  shows  how  Personal 
much  a  part  of  ourselves  are  things  we  own, 
and  ideas  which  we  hold.  "In  its  widest  possible 
sense,  however,  a  man's  ME  is  the  sum  total  of  all  that 
he  CAN  call  his,  and  not  only  his  body  and  psychic 
powers,  but  his  clothes  and  his  house,  his  wife  and 
children,  his  ancestors  and  friends,  his  reputation  and 
works,  his  lands  and  horses,  and  yacht  and  bank-ac- 

173 


174          Up  Through  Childhood 

count.  All  these  things  give  him  the  same  emotions. 
If  they  wax  and  prosper,  he  feels  triumphant;  if  they 
dwindle  and  die  away,  he  feels  cast  down, — not  neces- 
sarily in  the  same  degree  for  each  thing,  but  in  much 
the  same  way  for  all."  I  have  in  this  respect  a  certain 
sense  of  proprietorship.  One  need  only  to  instance 
political  or  religious  things  in  order  to  recognise  how 
strongly  he  feels  on  those  things  in  which  he  has  a 
sense  of  ownership. 

Now  the  first  condition  of  a  child's  interest  in  a  les- 
son, or  in  the  development  of  character,  his 

Int,er*e.St  own  character,  is  that  he  have  some  know- 
and  Aim. 

ledge  of  the  end  to  be  gained  and  the  way 
in  which  this  aim  may  be  met  by  the  task  which  you 
propose  to  him. 

To  this  end,  it  is  necessary  that  knowledge  be  pre- 
sented at  the  right  age.  There  are  stages  in  the  child's 
development,  and  a  certain  piece  of  know- 
"  ledge  which  at  one  time  he  would  spurn,  at 
a  later  time,  when  he  is  more  mature,  he  will  heartily 
welcome.  Is  it  possible,  for  instance,  to  impress  upon 
the  mind  of  a  boy  of  ten  the  richness  and  fulness  of 
conjugal  affection?  Can  a  schoolboy  appreciate  pro- 
blems of  state  ?  Or  can  one  who  has  lived  all  his  child 
life  in  selfishness  recognise  the  strength  of  the  noble 
and  generous  motives  which  often  characterise  a  man  ? 
There  is  not  only  a  right  age  but  a  right  time  for  the 
presentation  of  knowledge. 

There  is  a  time  for  everything  under  the  sun,  and 


Interest  175 

there  is  a  right  time  for  presenting  rich  truth  to  the 
mind.     The  chosen  moment  involves  something  more 
than  the  right  age.     It  involves  Tightness 
of  mood— in  short,  that  state  of  mind  and  Time* 

soul  in  the  child  which  welcomes  anything 
not  repulsive.    There  must  also  be  fitness  in  what  pre- 
cedes and  what   follows.     One  can  appropriate  only 
those  things  that  come  near  to  his  nature. 

There  must  be  a  choice  of  right  matter.  It  is  useless 
to  offer  material  which  is  unattractive  to  the  child. 
The  material  must  have  in  itself  something 

which  appeals  to  some  characteristic  of  his          Right 

Material, 
nature,  and  there  must  be  continually  an 

opening  of  mind  and  heart  because  of  the  nobleness  or 
truth  or  use  of  the  material  which  is  offered.  Right 
material  and  nothing  else  must  be  presented. 

This  touches  not  only  the  subject  of  interest,  but  the 
whole  matter  of  growth.  Interest  depends  upon  native 

instincts  and  past  experiences.     The  only 

Points  of 
possible    development    of   instincts    is    to      Contact. 

cherish  them  when  they  appear,  and  in  the 
age  of  adolescence  these  are  abundant  and  strong.  If 
encouraged  when  they  first  appear,  they  will  become 
important  elements  in  the  developing  character,  or  it 
neglected  or  completely  submerged,  all  except  the 
strongest  will  disappear  and  the  life  will  forever  be 
narrow.  The  native  instincts  are  such  as  belong  to 
humanity,  and  may  be  found  in  the  mind  of  any  child. 
They  are  these:  curiosity,  wonder,  and  activity. 


i76          Up  Through  Childhood 

1.  Curiosity,  with  a  strength  that  is  not  to  be  de- 
nied, leads  the  mind  into  untried  and  sometimes  pain- 
ful paths,  but  on  the  whole  it  is  a  most  beneficent  trait, 
and  brings  the  child  into  contact  with  many  new,  in- 
teresting, and  helpful  forces. 

2.  Wonder  is  strong  in  the  nature  of  the  child,  par- 
ticularly in  the  nature  of  the  young  child.     It  is  that 
which  leads  him  to  adore  and  aspire.     The  world  calls 
him  on  every  side.     His  mind  is  hungry  for  the  new, 
the  strange,  the  marvellous.     Even  superstitions  may 
have  a  tremendous  hold  upon  him,  but  these  he  will 
outgrow  and  be  the  richer  for  the  experiences  they 
have  induced. 

3.  Activity  is  a  law  of  life.     The  body  is  full  of  long- 
ing for  action,  and  so  with  the  soul.     Both  cry  out  for 
exercise.     Activity  is  a  law  of  the  child's  growth  as 
well  as  of  his  interest,  and  in  proportion  as  he  is  active 
will  his  interest  extend  to  many  subjects  and  be  de- 
veloped on  many  sides. 

How  remarkable  is  the  effect  of  these  native  instincts: 
curiosity,  wonder,  and  love  of  activity.  Add  to  these 
experience,  and  the  growing  mind  rapidly  adapts  itself 
to  new  conditions.  From  his  experience,  enriched  by 
moments  of  joy  or  days  of  happiness,  bound  to  the 
new,  strange,  and  marvellous,  he  is  able  to  take  hold 
firmly  upon  things  which  at  an  earlier  age  he  did  not 
think  of  touching.  Experience  is  a  great  interpreter, 
and  either  by  knowledge  which  he  already  holds,  or  by 
that  which  he  receives  by  transfer,  he  is  able  to  inter- 


Interest  i?7 

pret  many  new  and  interesting  things.  Experience  is 
a  great  teacher,  and  it  prepares  the  way  for  teaching. 
He  that  has  lived  in  the  busy  haunts  of  men  cannot 
fully  appreciate  solitude,  and  he  that  has  lived  under  a 
government  monarchical  in  form  and  spirit  has  not  any 
just  conception  of  the  deep  love  which  we  hold  for 
republican  institutions.  In  short,  though  the  native 
instincts  may  be  the  same,  experience  determines  the 
direction  which  one's  later  life  shall  take. 

When  our  presentation  of  material  begins  to  shade 
off  into  what  is  abstract  and  remote  from  life,  the  stu- 
dent's attention  begins  to  fail.  Whoever  can  keep  in 
real  contact  with  the  things  which  have  life  and  warm 
human  interest  may  be  pretty  sure  that  his  hearers  will 
follow  him.  This  is  only  another  way  of  saying  that 
human  beings  are  interested  in  the  fundamental  ques- 
tions of  humanity,  and  that  whoever  has  a  real  con- 
tribution to  offer  for  the  welfare  of  his  kind  may  be' 
pretty  sure  of  an  attentive  hearing,  provided  only  that 
he  presents  his  knowledge  in  such  a  way  that  this  rela- 
tionship may  be  recognised.  There  is  a  kind  of  tradition 
that  it  is  not  quite  scholarly  to  employ  the  concrete  in 
teaching;  we  sometimes  feel  that  it  denotes  a  hopeless 
mental  inferiority,  and  so  we  go  on  with  the  common- 
place of  abstraction  until  we  tire  out  ourselves  and  our 
hearers.  Any  teacher  who  has  real  human  interests 
need  not  fail  of  sympathetic  hearers,  provided  he  knows 
the  pathway  to  its  effectual  expression  in  the  terms  of 
other  people's  lives.  "  Between  your  thought,  your 


178          Up  Through  Childhood 

interest,  and  the  interest  which  you  would  awaken  in 
another  man  lies  the  barrier  of  your  own  personality. 
Over  and  through  this  barrier  your  idea  must  pass  be- 
fore it  reaches  the  other  man;  and  if  your  life,  manner, 
and  personality  are  inflexible  and  ineffectual,  your 
thought  will  lose  just  so  much  in  the  passage  from  you 
to  him."  I,earn  to  live.  Everything  turns  toward  the 
art  of  life.  lyife  is  the  great  translator  and  the  great 
translation. 

There  is  not  only  this  hunger  of  the  body  in  general, 
but  there  are  times  when  there  are  special  hungers. 

First,  the  hunger  of  the  eye,  which  prompts 
Special 


Hungers. 

natural  eye,  but  the  eye  of  the  mind,  which 

longs  for  knowledge  to  be  supplied  through  the  sense 
of  sight.  There  is  a  like  hunger  of  the  ear,  which 
revels  in  sounds,  and  if  these  are  poetical,  attractive, 
and  rhythmical,  the  whole  nature  finds  satisfaction  in 
them. 

The  supreme  value  of  interest  is  that  it  gives  the 

warm  human  touch  to  any  subject  which  lies  near  to 

the  student's  life  and  thought.     When  he 

e?  L     °t   reaches   some   degree   of  maturity,    he   is 
of  Interest. 

greatly  helped  by  being  taught  the  nature 
of  his  powers  and  activities  and  the  general  plan  of  his 
development.  The  knowledge  of  the  processes  of  his 
own  education  may  be  overdone,  but  so  long  as  this 
knowledge  does  not  outrun  his  interest  in  his  own  de- 
velopment, there  is  no  need  to  fear.  The  highest  pos- 


Interest  179 

sible  service  that  can  be  rendered  to  any  human  being 
is  to  arouse  in  him  a  steadfast  interest  in  his  own  de- 
velopment. Whenever  a  boy  or  a  man  takes  charge  of 
his  own  growth  and  life  with  the  purpose  of  bringing 
to  their  highest  possible  development  the  powers  which 
have  been  entrusted  to  him,  he  is  on  the  highway  to  an 
excellence  and  a  success  which  can  never  be  gained  for 
him  by  school  or  teacher.  In  a  very  high  and  true 
sense,  a  man  is  the  architect  of  his  own  fortune;  not 
because  he  lays  out  his  life  plans,  but  because  his  life 
plans  once  having  been  revealed  to  him,  his  whole  en- 
ergy is  focused  upon  the  fulfilment  of  this  as  a  sacred 
trust.  A  child  should  understand  fully  and  clearly 
those  things  which  are  necessary  steps  in  his  progress, 
but  he  need  not  understand  all  the  things  which  he 
sees  or  hears.  Often  the  wisdom  of  his  parent  or 
teacher  must  go  beyond  him,  and  he  will  store  away 
plans,  statements,  and  ideas,  the  significance  of  which 
he  understands  only  in  part  at  the  time.  The  secret 
of  making  things  clear  is  to  present  them  under  favour- 
able conditions  and  in  some  recognised  relation  to  the 
student's  experience,  that  he  may  make  the  most  im- 
portant practical  connections. 

This  is  the  great  office  of  illustrations,  but  every 
illustration  should  be  like  a  tailor-made  coat,  an  exact 
fit.  Illustrations  serve  their  purpose  only 

when  they  really  illustrate  the  ideas  they       IIluftra- 

tions. 
are  said  to  teach.     Any  illustration  which 

is  more  cumbersome  than  the  point  it  is  to  make  clear 


i8o          Up  Through  Childhood 

is  a  delusion  and  a  snare,  and  no  matter  how  interest- 
ing it  may  be  in  itself,  it  has  no  teaching  value.  Never 
use  an  illustration  which  does  not  illustrate.  Never 
use  an  illustration  in  which  the  word  to  be  illustrated 
has  a  radically  different  meaning  from  that  used  in  the 
illustration.  For  example,  the  music  teacher  who  was 
trying  to  develop  in  the  minds  of  his  pupils  the  idea  of 
pitch  was  very  unfortunate  when  he  called  the  minds 
of  the  children  to  the  material  which  the  boatmen  use 
to  caulk  the  cracks  in  their  boats.  The  words  are  used 
with  a  wholly  different  meaning  in  these  two  cases. 

"By  awakening  and  gratifying  the  imagination,  the 
truth  finds  its  way  more  readily  to  the  heart  and  makes 
a  deeper  impression  on  the  memory.  The  story,  like  a 
float,  keeps  it  from  sinking;  like  a  nail,  fastens  it  in 
the  mind;  like  the  feathers  of  an  arrow,  makes  it  strike; 
and  like  the  barb,  makes  it  stick." — GUTHRIE. 

' '  George  Herbert  says  :  '  It  is  an  ill  mason  that  re- 
fuseth  any  stone.  And  there  is  no  knowledge  but,  in 
a  skilful  hand,  serves  either  positively  as  it  is,  or  else 
to  illustrate  some  other  knowledge.'  In  all  ages  they 
have  been  the  greatest  powers,  both  in  the  pulpit,  in 
the  class-room,  and  on  the  platform,  who  have  kept 
this  truth  in  mind.  The  Fathers  of  the  early  Church, 
who  lived  in  days  nearest  to  those  of  the  Son  of  man — 
the  Puritans,  whose  names  are  inspiration  still — enrich 
their  discourses  with  simile,  metaphor,  and  anecdote. 
These  made  all  nature,  all  history,  all  the  lives  of  men 
their  treasury,  out  of  which  to  bring  the  '  new '  things 


Interest  181 

which  were  to  embellish  and  enforce  the  '  old.'  " — Dr. 
W.  M.  PUNSHON. 

The  heart  is  one  of  the  great  conditions  of  interest, 
and  in  many  instances  it  is  a  supreme  condition.  Curi- 
osity, wonder,  love  of  activity,  play  a  large 

Heart 
part  in  developing  and  maintaining  interest;         Power 

but  the  teacher  who  would  do  his  most  suc- 
cessful work  in  moulding  character  and  determining 
action  and  power  with  the  whole  strength  of  his  nature, 
will  take  hold  on  the  heart  of  the  student.  Love  beck- 
ons with  many  hands  and  has  a  thousand  cords  of  in- 
terest which  can  never  be  found  in  the  simple  play  of 
the  intellect. 

"  Our  intellectual  and  actual  powers  increase  with  our 
affections.  The  scholar  sits  down  to  write,  and  all  his 
years  of  meditation  do  not  furnish  him  with  one  good 
thought  or  happy  expression;  but  it  is  necessary  to 
write  a  letter  to  a  friend, — and  forthwith  troops  of 
gentle  thoughts  invest  themselves,  on  every  hand,  with 
chosen  words." — EMKRSON. 

But  there  must  be  a  clear  and  sharp  distinction  be- 
tween the  attitude  of  interest  and  interest  itself.  Many 
children,  because  of  their  desire  to  win  approval  or  be- 
cause of  their  real  affection,  will  spend  much  time  and 
energy  and  make  marvellous  pretences  to  an  interest 
which  they  do  not  feel. 


CHAPTER  XV 

MEMORY 

THE  basis  of  memory  is  believed  to  be  in  the  brain; 
the  act  of  remembering  seems  to  involve  a  change  in  the 

arrangement  of  the  brain  cells.     Memory  is 
Location 
of  Memory,  commonly  spoken  of  as  if  it  were  a  single 

power  of  the  mind,  but,  in  truth,  we  have 
many  memories.  One  person  remembers  names,  another 
remembers  faces  and  forgets  names,  and  yet  another 
recalls  sounds,  odours,  dates,  or  events  most  readily. 
We  may  consider  memory  under  three  heads: 

(a)  General  Retentiveness. 
The  Three        ,,  N  ~   .   ,.       ,  . 
Heads  ^  '  Relationships. 

(c)  Recall  and  Recognition. 

The  first  is  recognised  as  a  physiological  condition  of 
the  brain  due  to  native  qualities,  and  it  probably  can- 
not be  improved  by  any  amount  of  culture.  However, 
its  best  work  is  insured  by  the  vigour  of  health  in  the 
system,  and  by  the  habit  of  prompt,  strong,  and  ener- 
getic activity  of  the  mind  in  all  directions.  The  firm 
and  steady  intensity  of  the  intellectual  life  is  greatly 
to  be  desired  for  memory,  as  well  as  for  the  highest 
manifestation  of  the  other  powers. 

182 


Memory  183 

The  second,  Relationship,  includes  the  whole  range 
of  mental  relationships  which  contribute  to  remember- 
ing, and  often  to  the  clearer  understanding  of  a  subject. 
These  relationships  are  not  made  in  any  arbitrary 
fashion,  but  are  founded  upon  the  relations  of  a  part  to 
the  whole,  or  of  one  idea  to  its  fellow.  Most  of  the 
higher  forms  of  remembering  are  dependent  upon  the 
right  recognition  of  relationships.  And  there  is  no 
doubt  that  this  is  the  most  helpful  field  for  the  culti- 
vation of  memory.  Any  culture  in  this  direction  im- 
proves not  only  the  memory  but  the  whole  mental  life. 
There  is  no  doubt  that  much  which  is  done  in  this 
direction  is  not  really  profitable.  And  this,  because 
the  relationships  are  not  those  belonging  to  nature,  but 
are  founded  upon  ideas,  or  characteristics  which  are 
assumed  rather  than  real. 

This  power  of  the  mind  acts  through  retentiveness, 
and  brings  back  thoughts  or  feelings  which  have  before 
been  in  the  consciousness.  At  some  time  Recan  an(j 
we  recognise  these  as  having  been  in  the  Recogni- 
mind  before.  Satisfactory  recognition  im-  tlon> 

plies  that  this  knowledge  has  at  first  been  introduced 
into  the  mind  in  its  true  relations.  This  granted,  we 
may,  with  occasional  repetition,  depend  upon  our 
memories  to  recognise  any  material  before  introduced. 

Joseph  Cook  says:  ''Attention  is  the  mother  of 
memory,  and  interest  the  mother  of  attention.  To 
secure  memory,  secure  both  her  mother  and  her 
grandmother."  Attention,  accuracy,  and  trust  are 


1 84          Up  Through  Childhood 

fundamental  considerations  in  improving  the  memory. 
There  must  be  close  attention  to  the  thing  to  be  re- 
Conditions  membered — accuracy  in  every  part  and  in 
of  Remem-  noting  the  relation  of  these  parts,  and  that 
benng.  confidence  in  the  memory  or  trust  of  it  which 
will  lead  to  a  firm  and  definite  recall.  Better  thinking 
means  always  a  better  memory,  because  we  then  place 
things  in  their  right  relations.  "Anything  to  be  re- 
membered and  recalled  at  will  should  be  introduced 
into  the  mind  in  a  recognised  relation  to  something 
already  in  the  mind," — that  is,  those  ideas  in  the 
mind  with  which  it  naturally  belongs. 

Nature,  the  kind  old  nurse,  so  much  wiser  than  we 
with  our  petty  systems  and  firm  exactions,  is  always 
on  hand  to  give  the  child  training  in  this  great  human 
method  of  recording  impressions  and  experiences.  The 
native  instincts  are  rising  up  again  and  again  to  make 
this  law  known  and  obeyed,  and  in  memory  more  than 
in  any  other  kind  of  mental  activity  one  may  readily 
recognise  the  part  played  by  interest. 

The  boy  who  has  great  difficulty  in  reciting  a  gram- 
mar lesson  of  ordinary  length  will  spend  the  afternoon 
at  a  ball  game  and  recount  to  you  without  one  mistake 
all  the  varied  experiences  of  the  game  and  the  fortunes 
of  the  individual  players.  He  remembers  the  thing 
that  his  heart'is  in.  Even  the  little  girl  who  may  for- 
get the  time  to  do  the  errand  or  perform  the  little  task 
which  has  been  set  for  her  can  readily  remember  the 
place  where  she  would  make  some  purchase  for  her 


Memory  185 

own  pleasure,  or  the  size  and  kind  of  a  doll  she  wishes 
for  her  play-room.  And  not  only  with  the  younger 
children,  from  babyhood  to  manhood  and  womanhood, 
we  remember  the  things  for  which  we  care  most. 
The  great  secret  of  getting  the  child  to  remember  is 
to  get  him  to  care  tremendously  for  the  things  we  would 
have  him  retain.  This  is  the  lesson:  getting  by  heart 
as  well  as  by  head  will  make  him  remember  forever. 
But  granted  that  one  sets  out  definitely  to  memorise 
certain  things,  it  is  well  enough  to  observe  some  of  the 
common-sense  rules. 

1.  Let  the  attention  be  strong  and  ready. 

2.  Let  the  will  be  favourably  disposed  toward  the 
task  assigned. 

3.  See  that  the  ideas  are  introduced  into  the  mind  in 
a  recognised  relation  with  each  other  and  with  material 
already  stored. 

4.  Let  the  image  be  vivid.    The  child  must  not  learn 
words,  he  must  learn  things.     There  must  be  no  hazi- 
ness in  the  mental  perspective,  but  sharp,  clear-cut,  and 
definite  impressions.     The  mind  must  look  out  keenly 
and  strongly  and  recognise  the  things  to  be  considered. 
It  is  very  important  that  the  emphasis  should  be  laid 
upon  real  things  rather  than  upon  the  words  by  which 
things  are  called.     A  word  is  the  sign  of  an  idea,  but 
if  the  thought  cannot  be^earried  to  the  \nind  there  is 
little  value  in  storing  away  the  husk.     After  the  gen- 
eral idea  has  been  gained,  and  after  this  idea  has  been 
put  into  the  various  new  forms,  naturally  it  comes  to 


1 86          Up  Through  Childhood 

be  recognised  as  an  old  friend,  and  the  matter  of  repeti- 
tion will  have  great  value. 

And  this  repetition  must  give  due  heed  to  the  truth 
that  some  children  are  eye-minded  and  others  ear- 

0      ....       minded.    Not  a  few,  because  of  their  natural 
Repetition. 

power  of  rhythm,  and  the  strong  word-hun- 
ger, gather  up  all  the  ideas,  and  put  them  in  definite 
form  just  because  these  have  come  to  them  in  a  pleas- 
ing fashion,  and  have  stamped  themselves  upon  the 
receptive  ear.  Others  by  means  of  the  eye  will  gain 
new  truth  with  wonderful  clearness  and  store  this  away 
in  the  most  pleasing  and  satisfactory  fashion.  And 
this  repetition,  if  wisely  done,  will  go  far  toward  fixing 
permanently  the  material  which  we  would  put  into  the 
possession  of  the  child.  It  must  be  done  over  and  over 
again,  but  not  heedlessly  and  carelessly.  The  repeti- 
tion must  be  a  conscious,  purposeful,  and  definite  piece 
of  work  calling  for  mental  instincts  and  vigour,  with 
a  constant  effort  to  avail  one's  self  of  the  large  help  of 
strong,  true,  and  natural  associations.  This  will  come 
into  use  more  and  more  as  the  student  tries  new  pieces 
in  the  wall  of  knowledge,  and  fits  into  the  right  place 
the  thing  that  he  learns.  The  need  is  that  repetition 
which  involves  repeating  a  statement  and  recognising 
the  right  relations. 

So  varied  and  abundant  is  the  knowledge  that  is  de- 
sirable, and,  indeed,  so  vast  is  the  amount  that  is  now 
absolutely  necessary  to  one  who  lives  among  cultivated 
people,  that  the  only  hope  for  a  child  is  to  begin  early 


Memory  187 

and  improve  every  moment  of  the  impressionable  age 
of  childhood  in  acquiring  those  things  which  are  best 
worth  learning.  It  is  not  necessary  for  a 

child  to  wait  until  he  is  able  to  understand          J:  e^m 

Early. 

everything  which  he  commits  to  memory. 
The  rich  treasures  of  the  English  Bible  should 
early  be  stored  in  his  mind.  I,et  him  learn  the  Ten 
Commandments,  the  Beatitudes,  some  of  the  Psalms, 
and  such  selections  as  you  wish  him  to  hold  as  a  per- 
manent possession.  The  Twenty-third  Psalm  and 
some  other  passages  may  be  explained  in  a  way  to 
arouse  a  deep  interest,  even  in  a  young  child.  Other 
passages  may  be  learned  without  a  full  understanding 
on  the  part  of  the  child.  As  he  grows  older,  some  of 
the  rich  treasures  of  English  literature  may  be  added 
to  his  possessions.  That  parent  is  wise  who  gives  his 
child  that  educational  oversight  which  will  provide 
him  with  a  rich  and  varied  knowledge  for  his  mature 
years. 

It  is  not  enough  that  one  shall  remember  well. 
Other    powers    must    be    cultivated    and    cultivated 
definitely  for  the   development  of  general 
efficiency.     The  question  is  sometimes  raised        and  the 
whether  memory  is  not  a  direct  hindrance  to         Higher 
higher  powers.     There  is  little  doubt  that 
from  the  side  of  keeping  in  mind  the  relationship  be- 
tween ideas,  memory  performs  a  service  of  the  greatest 
value  to  the  mental  life.     But  there  is  a  kind  of  teach- 
ing in  the  form-studies,  with  little  emphasis  upon  the 


1 88  Up  Through  Childhood 

content-studies,  which  has  given  us  children  by  the 
thousand  who  have  the  greatest  facility  in  recalling 
words,  statements,  and  conclusions,  without  any  ade- 
quate knowledge  of  their  use  and  relationships.  In 
other  words,  they  are  taught  to  remember  but  not  to 
think.  Hear  Condillac: 

"  I  grant  that  the  education  which  cultivates  only 
the  memory  may  make  prodigies,  and  that  it  has 
done  so;  but  these  prodigies  last  only  during  the  time 
of  infancy.  He  who  knows  little  by  heart,  knows 
nothing.  He  who  has  not  learned  to  reflect  has  not 
been  instructed,  or,  what  is  still  worse,  has  been  poorly 
instructed." 

Kant's  criticism:  "  Men  who  have  nothing  but  mem- 
ory are  but  living  lexicons.  The  best  way  to  compre- 
hend is  to  do.  What  we  learn  the  most  thoroughly  is 
what  we  learn  to  some  extent  by  ourselves." 

Too  little  emphasis  is  placed  on  memory  as  a  treasure 
house.  The  wear  and  tear  of  daily  life  tends  to  rob 
Memory  one  °f  so  much  of  the  joy  and  beauty  and 
a  Treasure  freshness  of  youth  that  if  in  age  he  may  lay 
ouse'  under  tribute  the  treasures  stored  in  a  well- 
spent  youth  he  is  not  only  rich  for  all  his  life,  but  finds 
these  treasures  developing  new  degrees  of  excellence 
and  reinforcing  his  mind  in  the  hour  of  sorest  need. 
There  comes  a  great  temptation  —  and  an  inspiring 
quotation,  whether  poetry  or  Scripture,  comes  to  make 
him  strong.  There  comes  a  time  of  discouragement — 
and  the  ray  of  hope  bursts  through  the  clouded  sky  of 


Memory  189 

his  life.  There  comes  an  hour  of  doubt — and  the  high 
faith  which  has  been  stored  in  the  mind  and  heart  is 
brought  back  again,  so  that  he  mounts  up  as  an  eagle, 
can  run  and  not  be  weary,  can  walk  and  not  faint. 
Visions  are  of  the  future  and  of  the  past — those  of  the 
past  are  in  the  keeping  of  memory.  But  memory  has 
not  alone  joyful  things.  We  are  to  a  great  degree 
slaves  to  the  life  we  have  led,  of  the  experiences  we 
have  borne,  and  he  who  has  no  joy  in  youth  and  no 
high  true  pleasure  in  manhood  must  necessarily  look 
forward  to  gloomy  rest  in  old  age.  Life  has  lessons 
enough  that  are  bitter,  and  all  those  things  that  are  of 
this  sort  may  well  enough  be  turned  aside  from  the  life 
of  the  growing  child.  Many  an  experience  has  burned 
into  the  mind  with  the  bitterness  of  sorrow,  remorse, 
or  suffering,  and  has  left  impressions  which  all  the  joys 
of  life  cannot  efface.  I  have  stood  with  pleasure  on  the 
shore  of  the  sea  as  the  great  waves  came  rolling  in  and 
dashed  themselves  upon  the  beach:  there  was  some- 
thing of  majesty  in  the  dash  of  the  ocean,  and  some- 
thing of  the  high  pleasure  of  the  joyous  life  as  the 
great  waves  threw  themselves  upon  firm  land.  But 
another  at  my  side  has  looked  upon  this  scene  with 
pain  and  with  sorrow  of  heart,  and  beckoned  me  to 
turn  from  the  cruel  waves  that  robbed  him  of  the  friend 
of  his  youth.  There  is  not  one  of  us  but  has  sad  and 
sorry  memories  he  would  be  glad  to  bury  in  the  deep 
sea.  It  is  a  part  of  this  eternal  law  of  memory  that  the 
things  that  are  deeply  imprinted  must  abide.  When 


i9°          Up  Through  Childhood 

we  realise  that  a  life  may  be  full  of  beauty  and  joy; 
that  fine,  and  rich,  and  high  treasures  may  be  stored; 
that  there  comes  day  by  day  to  the  willing  mind  and 
ready  heart  an  insight,  a  peace,  and  a  hope  that  is 
more  than  a  hope  of  earth,  what  need  is  there  to  urge 
that  these  be  cherished,  and  that  life  be  made  fine,  and 
high,  and  beautiful,  so  that  these  pictures  may  throng 
upon  our  memories,  making  them  treasure  houses  of 
strength  and  inspiration  when  the  hand  begins  to 
tremble  and  the  sight  begins  to  fail?  For  the  long 
years  of  God  we  may  have  no  richer  treasures  than  the 
memories  of  a  life  well  spent. 

Among  the  many  beautiful  legends  of  the  lost  Atlan- 
tis is  one  told,  among  the  simple  peasantry  of  Brittany, 
of  the  buried  city  of  Is,  lying  beneath  the  waters  of  the 
sea  near  the  coast.  The  sailors  say  that  the  spires  of 
the  buried  churches  may  sometimes  be  seen  in  the 
trough  of  the  waves,  and  that  in  times  of  profound 
calm  the  church  bells  may  be  faintly  heard  beneath 
the  still  waters,  tolling  the  passing  hours  and  calling  a 
shadowy  congregation  to  their  devotions. 

In  many  a  human  heart  there  lies  hidden  a  city 
of  the  past,  from  which,  in  the  calm  evening  of  life, 
memory  will  sound  forth  its  chimes,  calling  the  soul  to 
contemplation  of  the  past,  with  thoughts  of  joy  or  sor- 
row, as  the  memories  of  that  past  may  be.  It  is  safe 
to  assume  that  if  a  man  could  see  the  end  from  the  be- 
ginning, his  life  would  be  governed  by  different  rules. 

"As  we  sit  in  the  great  afternoon  of  life,  watching 


Memory  191 

the  lengthening  shadows  and  the  deepening  twilight, 
the  shadowy  procession  of  the  past  goes  by,  travers- 
ing the  halls  of  memory,  a  weird  and  startling  panorama. 
Blessed  is  he  who  is  able  to  gaze  upon  it  unmoved  and 
without  a  blush.  But  to  him  who  sees  the  ghosts  of 
his  youthful  follies  and  crimes  stalk  by,  what  a  sharp 
pang  comes,  in  the  reflection  that  each  one  left  a  scar 
on  his  soul  which  can  never  be  effaced. 

"  To  the  old  age  that  has  kept  the  true  beacon-light 
in  view  on  the  voyage;  that  has  carefully  studied  the 
chart  which  the  experience  of  the  ages  has  proven  to 
be  the  only  correct  guide;  that  has  taken  the  Great 
Pilot  on  board  at  the  proper  time, — to  such  an  old  age 
the  last  days  are  the  best  days,  and  memory  brings 
nothing  but  a  deeper  joy." — Co  WEN. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

IMAGINATION  AND  ITS  CUI/TURK 

THE  real  meaning  of  imagination  can  perhaps  best 
be  appreciated  in  masterpieces  of  poetry.  Such  works 
have  come  down  to  us  from  the  past,  but  they  are  also 
created  in  our  own  day.  Kipling's  tribute  to  Cecil 
Rhodes  is  an  example. .  One  stanza  will  suffice: 

It  is  his  will  that  he  look  forth  across  the  world  he  won — 
The  granite  of  the  Ancient  North,  great  spaces  washed  with  sun. 
There  shall  he  patient  make  his  seat  (as  when  the  death  he 

dared), 
And  there  await  a  people's  feet  in  the  path  that  he  prepared. 

This  poem  and  the  giant  soul  it  sings  are  worth  a 
thousand  definitions!  When  we  begin  to  analyse  we 
sink  to  the  commonplace. 

Imagination  is  the  act  or  power  of  com- 
Definition.    , 

bming  the  products  of  knowledge  in  modi- 
fied, new,  or  ideal  forms. 

The  ethical  imagination  is  used  in  conceptions  of 
life  and  conduct;  the  philosophical  imagination  is 
used  in  philosophical  inventions  and  discoveries  and 
is  that  action  of  the  mind  which  combines  things, 
acts,  events,  and  relationships;  the  poetic  imagina- 

192 


Imagination  and  its  Culture       193 

tion  is  creative  and  is  used  in  forming  elevating 
pictures  or  artistic  ideas  which  find  expression  in 
rhythmical  language. 

There  are  two  general  types  of  imagination. 

1.  The  kind  which  presents  images  very  nearly  like 
things  we  have  seen,  felt,  or  heard.     These  are  images 
of  memory. 

2.  That  type  which  forms  a  mental  picture  wholly 
different  from  anything  we  have  ever  seen.     This  is 
the  creative  imagination,  and  is  of  the  greatest  value  in 
all  fields  of  practical  activity. 

The  common  attitude  toward  imagination  is  worthy 
both  of  remark  and  censure.  Not  a  few  have  looked 
upon  this  as  an  evil  power,  because,  forsooth,  it  has 
sometimes  been  turned  to  an  evil  use.  It  ought  to  be 
one  of  the  brightest,  strongest,  and  most  helpful  of  all 
the  powers  of  the  mind.  So  long  as  the  mind  is 
steadied  by  a  sane  attitude  toward  the  world  and  its 
problems,  there  is  no  danger  in  the  far  flights  of  the 
imagination.  I  have  often  been  struck  with  the  breadth 
of  view  of  those  who  will  allow  their  imagination  to 
soar  out  into  realms  of  the  unknown.  This  petty  fear 
which  keeps  the  mind  wholly  within  the  realm  of  time 
and  sense  limits  its  activity  to  the  bread-and-butter 
problems,  and  greatly  restricts  both  its  usefulness  and 
its  power.  The  mind  returns  from  these  far  journeys 
laden  with  the  spoil  of  many  climes,  and  it  is  all 
material  of  a  kind  that  may  be  woven  into  the  texture 

of  daily  life,  shooting  through  here  a  golden  thread 
13 


T94          Up  Through  Childhood 

and  there  a  ray  of  beauty,  until  the  commonplace  is 
transformed  into  the  sublime. 

The  first  great  value  of  imagination  is  the 
Culture 

Value  range    that    it   gives  to   thought.     There 

of  the  Im-    comes  to  one  a  consciousness  of  largeness 
and    vigour    corresponding   to  his   ideals. 
These  large  ideals  call  forth: 

1.  The  consciousness  of  strength. 

2.  The  desire  for  symmetry  in  ideas  and  expression, 
which  develops  the  sense  of  beauty. 

With  all  these,  and  right  moral  ideas,  agreeableness 
will  be  as  natural  as  any  product  which  springs  from 
right  planting.  Next  comes  the  remarkable  office  of 
imagination  in  the  realm  of  human  sympathy.  The 
very  essence  of  the  injunction,  "  Put  yourself  in  his 
place,"  is  found  in  the  value  of  the  imagination,  to  put 
before  us  the  opportunities,  difficulties,  and  discourage- 
ments which  come  to  one  whose  interest  we  are  con- 
sidering. The  highest  and  the  best  of  all  is  the  ideal 
of  excellence  which  may  be  placed  before  the  mind  in  a 
form  so  attractive  that  the  student  will  welcome  it  as 
his  highest  good;  and  with  excellence  before  him  as  a 
growing  ideal,  he  will  mount  higher  and  higher  into 
the  noblest  things. 

The  secret  of  making  things  real  rests  supremely 
with  the  imagination.  The  element  of  reality  to  one 
man  is  not  the  element  of  reality  to  another,  and  the 
teacher,  in  order  to  make  things  seem  real  to  the  child, 
must  be  able  to  see  all  the  conditions  from  the  child's 


Imagination  and  its  Culture       195 

point  of  view;  knowing  the  child's  point  of  view  and 
knowing  his  own,  he  is  able  to  make  real  to  the  child 
the  larger  vision  by  interpreting  his  knowledge  in 
terms  of  the  child's  thought  and  experience.  This 
is  the  whole  secret. 

The  alert  mind  finds  abundance  of  material  for  the 
use  of  the  imagination.  That  furnished  by  any  of  the 
five  senses  may  thus  be  combined,  although  Materials 
that  supplied  by  sight,  hearing,  and  touch  for  Im- 
furnishes  the  greatest  amount  of  material  for  aginatlon- 
the  use  of  this  power.  The  raw  materials  for  the 
action  of  this  power  are  abundant,  and  he  who  has  the 
seeing  eye  and  the  hearing  ear  will  accumulate  treasures 
in  store.  The  varied  colours  of  the  sky;  the  great  and 
beautiful  clouds,  with  their  towers  and  battlements,  or 
their  soft  inviting  whiteness;  the  thousands  of  leaves 
on  the  trees;  the  flowers  that  look  out  to  us  from  every 
corner;  the  birds  as  they  fly  here  and  there,  or  soar 
away  in  the  dim  blue;  the  Milky  Way  with  its  myriads 
of  glittering  stars,  the  stately  planets  and  the  sun  in 
its  splendour,  bring  to  us  from  the  wide  realm  of 
nature  treasures  for  this  power  of  the  mind. 

The  realm  of  literature  is  not  less  fruitful  in  materials 
of  the  highest  and  most  profitable  kind,  bold  pictures, 
stately  conceptions,  varied  and  remarkable  ideas  and 
ideals;  subtle  analyses  of  human  character  and  of  the 
whole  range  of  the  myriad  realities  of  the  soul  shine 
out  from  the  pages  written  by  creative  minds.  There 
is  the  ' '  myriad-minded ' '  Shakespeare,  who  climbed 


Up  Through  Childhood 

every  height  of  human  aspiration,  and  sounded  every 
depth  of  human  woe  and  passion.  He  saw  nature  and 
life  in  such  varied  aspects  that  Coleridge  calls  him 
"the  thousand-souled  Shakespeare."  There  is  Milton 
with  his  high,  chaste  spirit,  his  strong,  sublime,  and 
beautiful  conceptions.  With  him  the  ruined  arch- 
angel is  a  tremendous  conception,  "no  longer  the  petty 
mischief-maker,  the  horned  enchanter,  of  the  middle 
age,  but  a  giant  and  a  hero,  whose  eyes  are  like  eclipsed 
suns,  whose  cheeks  are  thunder-scarred."  But  Milton 
climbs  highest  when  he  bows  to  God,  and  lifts  up  his 
voice: 

Thou,  O  Spirit,  that  dost  prefer 
Before  all  temples,  the  upright  heart  and  pure. 

The  sphere  of  art  also  abounds  in  material.  Here 
the  artistic  creation  of  a  sublime  cataract,  a  storm  at 
sea,  a  pleasant  landscape,  and  the  human  face  with  its 
play  of  joy,  sorrow,  or  passion,  is  vividly  set  forth. 
Material  is  never  lacking;  the  one  lack  is  knowledge 
and  sympathy  in  appropriating  it.  Definite  images 
should  always  be  formed,  and  these  should  stand  out 
so  clearly  that  they  seem  to  live  in  the  mind  of  him 
who  forms  them.  In  a  direct  preparation  for  his  work, 
the  reader  should  gain  for  himself  and  offer  to  his 
students  clear-cut,  richly  coloured,  and  truly  formed 
images  in  the  field  of  their  study.  Let  the  land  and 
the  men  of  the  Bible  stand  before  them  as  things  alive. 
Seek  from  them  oral  descriptions,  and  by  means  of 
thought-power  correct  these  from  time  to  time  until 


Imagination  and  its  Culture       197 

they  square  with  truth.     At  first  have  the  child  de- 
scribe certain  scenes  or  certain  individuals,  by  and  by 
let  him  tell  the  full  story  with  the  various  paintings 
of  scenes  which  imagination  can  furnish. 
Imagination  has  a  practical  value. 

(a)  In  Business.     By  means  of  imagination  the  busi- 
ness man  is  able  to  forecast  from  the  beginning  the 
outcome  of  a  certain  business  venture;  the  The 
real-estate  dealer  sees  in  the  potato-field  at     ^J*^ 
the  edge  of  the  city  a  stretch  of  handsome      imagina- 
streets  lined  with  elegant  houses;    the  in-             tion- 
ventor  sees  in  a  few  wheels,  cogs,  and  levers  possibilities 
which  to  the  common  mind  are  wholly  unseen. 

(b)  In  Social  L,ife.      No  woman   can  successfully 
order  a  reception  or  other  social  function  without  plac- 
ing before  her  mind  the  general  conditions  to  be  met, 
the  nature  and  characteristics  of  her  guests,  and  some 
pretty  satisfactory  prospect  of  the  whole  entertainment 
as  it  will  appear  at  the  time;  in  dealing  with  a  single 
friend  it  is  necessary  to  have  some  general  impression 
of  what  his  attitude  may  be  and  the  desires  he  seeks  to 
gratify. 

(c)  In  Teaching.     The  first  great  purpose  of  all 
teaching  is  to  take  the  child  from  his  present  position 
of  weakness,  ignorance,  and  inefficiency,  and  to  carry 
him  to  the  highest  degree  of  excellence  which  his 
nature  may  attain.     The  teacher  has  a  large  scope  for 
the  imagination,  as  development  to  the  highest  possible 
degree  is  the  conception  necessary  to  make  a  success 


198          Up  Through  Childhood 

of  his  work.  Subordinate  to  the  greater  aim  are  a 
hundred  little  aims  which  must  be  present  in  the 
teacher's  mind  when  he  is  working  to  the  accomplish- 
ment of  that  aim,  and  he  must  see  how  a  minor  aim 
will  contribute  to  the  large  aim.  In  other  words,  he 
must  see  that  the  proper  reciting  of  a  lesson  or  correct 
performance  of  a  task  will  result  in  training  that  will 
make  a  character  efficient  for  service. 

(d)  In  Government.     In  government  there  must  be 
present  to  the  mind  of  the  statesman  many  moral  con- 
ditions which  obtain  to-day,  and  the  prospects  to  be 
brought  out  in  years  to  come.     This  was  in  the  mind 
of  Henry  Clay  as  he  stood  upon  the  Alleghany  Mount- 
ains, and,  looking  far  into  the  great  Mississippi  Valley, 
said:    "I  hear  the  tramp  of  the  coming  millions." 
There  comes  with  that  vision  the  need  of  preparation 
for  them,  and  however  little  and  cheap  any  man  may 
be  as  a  politician,   if  he  once  gets  the  statesman's 
vision,  there  is  a  tremendous  call  upon  all  that  is  good 
within  him  to  rise  up  and  declare  itself  for  the  benefit 
of  the  coming  millions. 

(e)  In  Religion.     Imagination  furnishes  the  greatest 
antidote  to  pessimism.     In  general,  as  one  looks  over 
the  strife  and  annoyance  and  irritation  manifested  in 
religious  circles,  and  as  he  sees  the  children  who  are 
inferior,  living  on  a  low  plane,  or  who  are  falling  away 
altogether,  he  is  able,  by  means  of  the  imagination,  to 
look  to  the  great  future  and  in  that  hope  find  courage 
to  say: 


Imagination  and  its  Culture       199 

I  live  for  those  who  love  me. 

Whose  hearts  are  kind  and  true  ; 
For  the  heaven  that  smiles  above  me, 

And  awaits  my  spirit  too  ; 
For  all  human  ties  that  bind  me, 
For  the  task  my  God  assigned  me, 
For  the  bright  hopes  left  behind  me, 

And  the  good  that  I  can  do. 

I  live  to  learn  their  story, 

Who  've  suffered  for  my  sake  ; 
To  emulate  their  glory, 

And  follow  in  their  wake  ; 
Bards,  patriots,  martyrs,  sages, 
The  noble  of  all  ages, 
Whose  deeds  crown  history's  pages, 

And  time's  great  volume  make. 

I  live  to  hail  that  season, 

By  gifted  minds  foretold, 
When  men  shall  live  by  reason, 

And  not  alone  by  gold  ; 
When  man  to  man  united, 
And  every  wrong  thing  righted, 
The  whole  world  shall  be  lighted, 

As  Eden  was  of  old. 

A.  I*  BANKS. 

Long  ago  it  was  said,  "As  a  man  thinketh  in  his 
heart,  so  is  he. ' '  This  depends  upon  imagination  for  its 
realisation,  and  grows  out  of  the  truth  that  little  by  lit- 
tle as  man  ponders  upon  great  courses  or  seeks  to  ac- 
complish remarkable  things,  the  result  comes  at  last,  and 
he  finds  the  Ideal  of  yesterday  has  become  the  Reality 
of  to  day.  And  this  is  true  because  striving  for  the 
ideal,  he  advances  step  by  step  toward  its  attainment. 


200          Up  Through  Childhood 

Longing 

Of  all  the  myriad  moods  of  mind 

That  through  the  soul  come  thronging, 
Which  one  was  e'er  so  dear,  so  kind, 

So  beautiful  as  longing  ? 
The  thing  we  long  for,  that  we  are 

For  one  transcendent  moment, 
Before  the  Present  poor  and  bare 

Can  make  its  sneering  comment. 

Longing  is  God's  fresh  heavenward  will 

With  our  poor  earthward  striving  ; 
*     We  quench  it  that  we  may  be  still 

Content  with  merely  living  ; 
But,  would  we  learn  that  heart's  full  scope 

Which  we  are  hourly  wronging, 
Our  lives  must  climb  from  hope  to  hope 

And  realise  our  longing. 


But  even  the  most  excellent  things  are  liable  to 
abuse,  and  the  signal  ignorance  as  to  imagination  and 
the  frequent  misuse  of  this  power  have  blinded  us  to 
its  great  value.  The  habit  of  day-dreaming  and  castle- 
building  which  is  more  or  less  common  to  youth,  when 
carried  to  a  point  where  dreaming  displaces  effort  can- 
not be  too  strongly  condemned.  Anything  like  an  ex- 
clusive reading  of  novels  in  the  usual  manner,  often 
leaves  the  reader  without  sufficient  determination  and 
heartiness  of  effort  to  do  valuable  work.  The  call  for 
every  dream-structure  is  a  building  of  fact,  and  for 
every  fancy  a  reality. 

When  I  was  a  beggarly  boy, 
And  lived  in  a  cellar  damp, 


Imagination  and  its  Culture       201 

I  had  not  a  friend  or  a  toy, 
But  I  had  Aladdin's  lamp  : 
When  I  could  not  sleep  for  cold, 
I  had  fire  enough  in  my  brain, 
And  builded  with  roofs  of  gold 
My  beautiful  castles  in  Spain  ! 

Since  then  I  have  toiled  day  and  night, 
I  have  money  and  power  good  store, 
But  I  'd  give  all  my  lamps  of  silver  bright 
For  the  one  that  is  mine  no  more  ; 
Take,  Fortune,  whatever  you  choose, 
You  gave  and  may  snatch  again  ; 
I  have  nothing  't  would  pain  me  to  lose, 
For  I  own  no  more  castles  in  Spain  !  " 


CHAPTER  XVII 
THOUGHT  AND  THOUGHT  CUI/TURE 

THINKING  is  that  process  of  the  mind  by  which  we 
compare  things  with  each  other,  note  the  points  of 

agreement  and  of  difference,  and  classify 
Definition.  .  , 

them  in  accordance  therewith.     Thinking 

is  a  study  of  relationships.  It  investigates  the  con- 
clusions as  to  their  truth  or  their  falsehood,  and  ex- 
tends to  the  examination  of  materials  and  the  relation 
of  these  to  each  other  and  to  the  ends  sought. 

The  fundamental  condition  for  right  thinking  is  the 

receptive  attitude  of  the  mind,  and  such  experience  and 

insight  as  will  enable  one  to  test  the  material 

Funda-        used,  and  the  method  of  using  it.     With- 

mental  out  the  receptive  mind  it  is  impossible  for 
Condition.  . ,  ,  .  ,  .  ,,  .  J  , 

new  ideas  to  be  received  at  their  true  value; 

and  without  insight  it  is  impossible  that  ideas  received 
can  have  their  right  relationship  or  proper  force.     Im- 
agination is  one  of  the  greatest  aids  in  thinking;  it  is 
of  special  value  in  business  lines.     Only  a  man  with  a 
powerful  imagination  could  have  placed  before  his  mind 
the  practical  business  advantages  of  the  telephone. 
Many  a  large  business   has  unfolded  itself  slowly. 
202 


Thought  and  Thought  Culture    203 

Years  ago  a  man  who  was  out  of  employment  was  one 
day  asked  to  go  on  a  train  and  take  charge  of  the 
packages  between  stations.  His  mind  turned  readily 
to  classification,  and  with  the  growing  demands  of  the 
business  he  classified  the  duties  and  activities,  and  or- 
ganised an  extensive  business,  which  is  now  known  as 
one  of  the  great  express  companies  of  this  country. 

By  means  of  the  imagination  we  are  often  able  to 
profit  by  the  experiences  of  others.  To  lay  under 
tribute  the  intellectual  product  of  other  minds,  and 
appropriate  their  experiences  to  our  needs  and  uses,  is 
one  of  the  highest  arts  of  life.  Thinking  broadens  and 
deepens  the  mind.  A  man  with-many  interests  will  be 
shallow  only  when  he  has  not  sufficient  time  and  en- 
ergy to  think  deeply  and  carefully  of  ea*ch.  No  thinker 
can  afford  to  receive  into  his  mind  a  great  mass  of  un- 
digested material  which  he  will  not  soon  have  time  to 
classify.  Just  here  is  found  the  greatest  disadvantage 
in  our  present  cramming  system  of  education.  In  the 
student's  wild  effort  to  accumulate  as  many  facts  as 
possible  in  order  to  meet  the  grind  of  examination,  he 
often  fails  to  get  things  in  their  relationships,  and  even 
to  know  the  thing  itself.  Any  kind  of  successful 
mental  work  requires  time  for  the  mental  reaction. 
Cramming  does  have  a  certain  value.  The  rapid  re- 
view of  the  subject,  which  that  method  necessitates, 
makes  possible  a  general  view  of  the  field,  which  a 
slower  method  of  study  does  not  secure.  But  that 
general  view  of  the  field  is  better  taken  at  the 


204          Up  Through  Childhood 

beginning  than  at  the  end  of  a  study.  Then,  too,  life 
has  many  conditions  where  it  is  necessary  to  mass  mate- 
rial, as  with  a  lawyer  who  is  called  to  an  unusually  rapid 
preparation  for  his  case  before  court.  An  orator  is 
often  called  upon  to  make  an  address  on  very  short 
notice,  and  must  get  together  a  large  mass  of  new 
material,  which  cannot  possibly  have  time  to  become 
a  part  of  his  thought  and  life.  But,  whatever  may  be 
the  advantages  of  the  practice  in  cramming  as  a  pre- 
paration to  meet  emergencies,  it  cannot  be  considered 
as  a  satisfactory  preparation  for  the  regular  and  steady 
duties  of  life. 

For  all  sound  thinking  there  must  be  abundance  of 
thought-material.  This  thought- material,  from  the 
Abundance  ^rst>  s^ou^  be  arranged  according  to  some 
of  Thought-  general  plan.  The  beginner  will  often 
Material.  ciassify  the  subject  of  his  thought  as  be- 
longing to  the  animal,  mineral,  or  vegetable  kingdom. 
Presently  he  will  consider  the  field  of  the  inner  and  the 
outer  life;  or  he  may  consider  material  under  some  of 
the  great  branches  of  human  knowledge,  as  literature, 
history,  or  science.  Unconsciously  the  good  student 
classifies  the  material  around  some  thought  centre  in 
his  own  mind.  This  thought  centre  may  be  the  result 
of  some  minor  experiences,  of  a  proverb,  or  of  some 
striking  statement  which  he  has  heard.  As  rapidly  as 
possible  he  will  translate  all  knowledge  into  the  terms 
of  his  own  mind,  and  be  able  to  use  it  as  current  intel- 
lectual coin  for  the  payment  of  all  obligations.  It  is 


Thought  and  Thought  Culture    205 

highly  desirable  that  the  habit  of  accumulating  and 
classifying  thought-material  should  be  begun  early  in 
life,  and  that  people  who  intend  to  become  thinkers  in 
the  high  sense  of  the  term  should  have  right  ideas 
about  accumulating  knowledge. 

There  is  really  no  such  thing  as  doing  the  best 
mental  work  in  haste.  Every  mind  has  its  own  par- 
ticular way  of  thinking,  and  cannot  be 

,     The  Time. 
quickened,    though    it   may   be    hindered. 

Time  must  be  given  for  the  reaction  of  knowledge 
upon  the  mind  and  for  interlacing  the  filaments  of  new 
thought  with  that  which  is  already  in  the  mind.  In 
other  words,  the  material  must  not  only  be  classified 
and  organised  in  the  mind,  but  it  must  have  time  to 
unite  with  the  knowledge  already  accumulated;  that 
is,  it  must  become  a  part  of  the  thinker's  intellectual 
life. 

Then  the  senses  are  all  alert.  The  memory  is  keen. 
The  fresh  young  mind  is  not  usually  burdened  with  the 
responsibility  of  earning  a  livelihood  or  of  meeting  the 
problems  of  daily  life.  At  this  age  there  should  be 
established  a  habit  of  running  a  thought  down.  When 
a  thought  comes  before  the  mind,  it  should  be  wisely 
and  carefully  noted  in  its  varied  relationships  and  each 
line  of  relationship  followed  to  the  utmost  limit  that 
time  and  present  power  will  allow.  From  the  early 
cultivation  of  this  habit,  coupled  with  an  earnest  de- 
sire to  recognise  conditions  as  they  are,  one  may  gain 
that  breadth  of  sympathy  and  broad  human  interest 


2o6          Up  Through  Childhood 

which  makes  him  a  companion  so  much  sought  and  so 
greatly  desired. 

Reading  is  one  of  the  most  fruitful  means  of  accumu- 
lating material.  It  is  valuable  both  for  the  knowledge 
Accumula-  ^  gives  directly  and  for  the  thought  which 
tion  of  it  suggests.  With  most  people,  however,  it 
Material.  jg  a  gOO(j  thing  overdone.  It  has  so  long 
been  considered  a  virtue  to  read  and  to  read  widely  that 
it  has  induced  a  type  of  mental  indigestion  subversive 
of  sound  scholarship  and  true  character.  I  believe  that 
nearly  all  intelligent  people  read  too  much.  It  is  easier 
to  read  than  to  think;  easier  to  adopt  the  opinion  of 
some  one  else  than  painfully  to  work  out  an  opinion  of 
one's  own.  From  this  practice  of  overmuch  reading 
we  may  reverently  ask  to  be  delivered. 

The  first  great  value  that  this  method  offers  is  that 
which  comes  from  setting  one's  problem  clearly.  When 
Talking  as  he  talks  with  a  companion  who  is  a  true 
a  Method  thinker,  he  will  soon  find  himself  compelled 
lati  to  set  his  problem  definitely,  to  set  the  parts 

Material,  in  due  relation  to  each  other,  rightly  placing 
those  which  are  of  greatest  and  those  which  are  of 
least  importance.  He  will  bound  the  matter  with 
question  so  that  it  may  be  sharp-edged,  and  the  whole 
relationship  of  the  parts  may  stand  out  definitely  and 
clearly  like  new-cut  type.  Again,  he  will  find  that  this 
exercise  will  compel  a  clear  and  definite  arrangement 
of  his  own  knowledge.  In  this  process  he  is  likely 
enough  to  find  that  some  of  the  things  which  he  felt 


Thought  and  Thought  Culture    207 

were  true  enough  are  in  no  sense  worthy,  and 
that  he  must  cast  aside  much  of  what  he  before 
accepted  without  question.  Then  to  these  two  advant- 
ages may  be  added  the  direct  accumulation  of  know- 
ledge. Intelligent  people  often  tell  us  in  their  happy 
way  things  we  have  never  before  known,  and  to 
the  mere  facts  accumulated  there  is  added  the  charm 
of  a  delightful  personality,  which  causes  the  know- 
ledge to  remain  with  us  in  the  stock  of  our  cherished 
treasures. 

Thinking  in  itself  may  not  be  a  difficult  process,  but 
it  is  one  that  requires  care  and  it  requires  a  steady 
action  of  the  will,  in  order  that  the  right  The  Use 
material  may  be  presented  at  the  right  time  of  the 

and  in  the  right  way.     After  all,  the  difficult  Wlll> 

thing  is  to  live  this  life  of  the  will,  but  if  one  can  have 
the  patience  to  trace  out  relationships  and  to  gain 
something  of  the  inner  essence  of  the  matter  to  be  read, 
there  is  little  doubt  that  his  whole  life  will  be  enriched 
thereby.  Another  step  in  this  process  of  mental  fur- 
nishing, is  the  grouping  of  ideas.  These  should  be 
placed  under  general  heads,  which  recognise  real  rela- 
tionships, and  place  the  material  so  that  it  may  be  had 
on  call,  when  the  mind  sees  the  place  for  its  use.  All 
principles,  to  have  the  greatest  value  for  our  use,  must 
have  some  form  of  simple  and  concrete  illustration,  and 
the  thinker  who  wishes  to  avail  himself  of  the  best 
ideas,  will  gladly  follow  out  the  plan  of  providing 
concrete  illustrations  for  many  of  his  thoughts. 


208          Up  Through  Childhood 

In  all  reasoning  we  must  have  units  of  comparison, 
— measures  which  serve  as  standards  for  our  mental 
Units  of  calculations.  The  unit  should  be  well 
Measure-  understood,  and  the  value  accurately 
ment.  known.  This  is  of  the  greatest  importance 

in  the  child's  life;  very  often  a  father's  example  is  the 
highest  standard  of  measurement  known  to  a  child. 
The  child's  estimate  of  manhood  will  depend  upon  his 
idea  of  a  man,  and  that  is  often  derived  from  his  father, 
teacher,  or  friend;  so  with  his  standards  of  truth, 
honour,  virtue,  purity,  and  courage.  Analogy  consti- 
tutes one  of  the  forms  of  thought  which  is  used,  per- 
haps more  than  any  other,  particularly  with  those  who 
have  not  learned  to  reason  closely.  It  is  necessary,  in 
order  to  reach  a  sound  conclusion,  that  the  points  of 
analogy  be  real  and  not  assumed,  and  that  they  should 
be  of  the  same  approximate  value.  There  is  no  field 
that  promises  better  results  for  the  student  than  the 
study  of  analogy. 

It  is  not  enough  that  one  note  analogies  carefully, 
there  must  be  breadth  of  thought.  If  there  is  no  recog- 
nition of  the  relationships  between  ideas,  there  can  be 
no  real  thought.  In  modern  education  we  have  come 
to  see  the  value  of  a  many-sided  interest.  This,  when 
properly  established  as  a  habit  of  life,  furnishes  breadth 
of  view  and  soundness  of  conclusion  and  leads  the 
student  to  the  best  results. 

The  two  leading  methods  of  reasoning  are  induction 
and  deduction.  In  induction  we  go  from  the  particu- 


Thought  and  Thought  Culture     209 

lar  to  the  general,  considering  this  idea  and  that  and 
the  other,  and  from  some  particular  characteristic  in 
each  we  arrive  at  a  general  conclusion.  If  Methods 
perfect,  it  involves  the  examination  of  every  of  Reason- 
unit  under  consideration.  In  practical  life,  ing' 
much  of  our  induction  must  necessarily  be  imperfect. 
For  instance,  we  buy  a  basket  of  potatoes  and  examine 
only  a  few  of  those  on  top.  We  purchase  a  loaf  of 
bread,  noting  only  such  qualities  as  appeal  to  the  sight. 
In  the  same  way,  some  select  a  boarding-house,  a  horse 
and  carriage,  or  a  friend,  and  are  later  disappointed  in 
the  result.  The  man  who,  after  husking  one  shock  of 
corn,  made  the  declaration  that  his  corn  averaged  two 
bushels  to  the  shock,  was  not  alone  in  hasty  inductions. 
Generalisations  are  made  frequently  from  the  most 
meagre  evidence. 

In  deduction  we  make  use  of  some  general  truth  or 
statement,  and  by  placing  the  individual  under  this 

class  we  are  able  to  declare  of  it  the  trait  or  _.   , 

Deduction. 

characteristic  which  belongs  to  the  class. 
For  example : 

All  men  are  mortal. 
Henry  Brown  is  a  man. 
Therefore  Henry  Brown  is  mortal. 

The  proper  study  of  mankind  is  man. 

You  are  a  man. 

Therefore,  the  proper  study  for  you  is  man. 


210         Up  Through  Childhood 

Venus  is  a  planet. 
Planets  are  not  self-luminous. 
Therefore  Venus  is  not  self-luminous. 
In  the  thought  process,  I  want  to  place  emphasis 
upon  practice  in  thinking.     I  have  no  great  estimate  of 
the  value  of  debating  as  a  means  of  arriving 

at  trUth>  but  m°St  stronSlv  do  l  believe  in 
the  value  of  discussion  to  afford  opportunity 

for  seeing  many  sides  of  the  matter.  In  a  sincere  dis- 
cussion, sincerely  conducted,  there  is  little  danger  of 
having  one's  interest  so  influenced  in  a  topic  that  the 
feeling  will  warp  the  judgment. 

There  is  another  excellent  discipline  that  comes  in 
argument,  and  that  is  afforded  in  keeping  one's  temper. 
Keeping  James  has  said  that  a  man  consists  of  soul, 
One's  body,  and  clothes,  and  in  his  catalogue  of 

Temper.  tjje  social  mes,  he  includes  as  a  part  of  a 
man's  Self,  whatever  may  be  called  his,  as  his  land,  his 
house,  his  wife,  his  children,  his  political  and  religious 
opinions.  I  have  known  many  people  who  were  so  de- 
voted to  their  opinions  that  the  most  fatal  blow  which 
you  could  administer  was  to  find  a  vital  spot  in  their 
opinions  and  thrust  in  the  dagger. 

Cobden  says:  "Sit  down  to  write  what  you  have 
Writing  as  thought,  not  to  think  what  you  shall  write." 
a  Step  But  jn  mv  experience  I  have  often  found 
Thought  writing  one  of  the  best  steps  in  the  thought 
Process.  process.  This  is  well  brought  out  in  dictat- 
ing. Even  with  but  a  meagre  outline  one  begins  to  die- 


Thought  and  Thought  Culture     211 

tate,  only  to  find  that  the  mind  slowly  and  accurately 
sets  things  off  in  their  proper  classes,  and  lays  out  the 
material  with  an  excellence  that  he  should  have  striven 
for  long  had  he  waited  to  work  it  out  before  beginning 
to  write.  There  is  another  danger,  too,  that  comes  in 
the  effort  to  think.  It  is  the  mistake  of  holding  the 
mind  to  a  subject  without  really  thinking.  There  must 
be  a  thought  process;  there  must  be  a  comparison  of 
definite  materials  and  of  the  relationships  which  obtain 
between  two  or  more  things  duly  placed.  In  his  effort 
to  be  thorough,  many  a  man  struggles  for  an  idea  till 
the  mind  wears  upon  itself,  his  thought  becomes  stale 
or  petty,  and  he  loses  the  very  element  that  makes  for 
strength  and  victory.  His  need  is  an  abundance  of 
thought-material,  and  the  habit  of  fresh  and  accurate 
classification. 

There  are  two  well  recognised  methods  of  thinking, 
rather  two  different  ways.     The  child  and  the  savage, 

indeed  all  men  think  to  the  greatest  extent 

1  he  Con- 
in  the  concrete.     There  is  no  doubt  that  the     crete  and 

highest  form  of  the  thought  process  is  ab-  tfte 

stract,  and  if  we  are  ever  to  get  beyond  the  stract» 
elementary  forms  of  mental  action,  we  must  be  able  to 
let  a  sign  represent  an  idea  or  a  group  of  ideas,  and 
press  forward  to  larger  acquisitions;  but  it  is  just  as 
important  that  in  this  thought  process  we  should  come 
back  again  and  again  to  the  concrete,  testing  our  ab- 
stract acquisitions  by  means  of  this  concrete  method, 
in  terms  and  illustrations.  And  when  we  turn  our 


212  Up  Through  Childhood 

thinking  to  the  matter  of  teaching,  we  must  be  on  our 
guard  continually,  not  to  present  abstract  statements 
to  the  young  mind,  whose  daily  thinking  is  in  terms 
of  the  concrete,  and  in  the  concrete  only. 

Every  year  adds  to  my  confidence  in  the  intellect  as 
a  means  of  obviating  one's  faults.  I  mean,  of  course, 
I  t  11  t  ^e  ^au^ts  °f  ^e  judgment,  an(i  not  faults  of 
a  Means  of  the  will;  there  is  no  remedy  for  those  but 

Obviating  a  complete  surrender  to  the  practice  of 
Our  Faults.  .  ,, 

righteousness.     Many  a  man  has  found  that 

his  financial  calculations  have  not  measured  up  to  his 
expectations,  and  a  little  careful  examination  will  be 
likely  to  show  that  this  is  habitual  with  him.  He 
finds  out  by  comparing  his  experiences  that  he  always 
hopes  for  a  little  more  money  than  he  actually  receives, 
and  by  and  by,  to  use  the  language  of  phrenology,  he 
discovers  that  his  organ  of  hope  encourages  him  to  ex- 
pect things  which  he  cannot  obtain,  but  by  means  of 
his  intellect  he  counts  off  one-fifth  or  one-half  of  his 
estimate,  and  finds  that  the  figures  attained  usually 
equal  the  adjusted  estimate.  Or  again,  he  knows  that 
things  never  turn  out  quite  so  badly  as  he  had  expected, 
and  finds  that  many  a  bridge  over  which  he  has  grieved 
has  been  rebuilt  before  he  has  been  called  upon  to  cross 
the  stream.  Then  he  knows  that  his  caution  habitu- 
ally predicts  danger  which  never  comes  to  pass,  and  he 
revises  his  outlook  on  life  and  finds  himself  so  much 
happier  and  more  successful.  Now,  in  the  same  way, 
one  may  in  good  measure  learn  to  govern  his  temper, 


Thought  and  Thought  Culture    213 

to  trust  his  acquaintances,  or  to  refrain  from  trusting 
them.  What  is  all  this  but  another  way  of  saying,  by 
means  of  a  sturdy  will  and  a  sound  judgment  he  will 
lead  a  vigorous  life  from  day  to  day,  experimenting 
upon  things  which  are  uncertain  and  determining 
always  to  do  the  best  that  he  may  know.  A  life  of 
this  kind  is  not  a  life  enslaved  by  evil  habits,  but  it  is 
one  called  to  the  largest  liberty  which  mind  and  heart 
and  will  can  grant  to  the  well- endowed  Self. 

Stability  of  character  is  insured  only  by  the  estab- 
lishment of  stable  and  worthy  ends.     These  stable  and 
worthy  ends  are  chosen  by  means  of  an  out- 
look of  such  breadth  and  saneness  as  to  put  character 
one  in  the  right  relation  with  his  fellow 
men,  and  to  subject  him  to  the  divine  power  which 
rules  over  him.     L,ife  in  a  godly  home  and  among  up- 
right men  and  women  goes  far  to  insure  worthy  aims 
and  a  stable  character. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

MOTIVES  —  KINDS  AND 


MOTIVE  is  used  here  in  the  sense  of  any  feeling, 

thought,  or  belief  that  excites  to  action.     Thought  in 

general  is  motor  in  its  character,  and   all 

right  thinking  ought  to  have  action  as  its 

end. 

The  great  question  is  to  have  people  wish  to  do  what 
they  ought  to  do.  The  problem  of  the  teacher  is  to 
Importance  arouse  tne  child's  attention  and  active  in- 
of  Motiva-  terest,  or  to  have  him  move  toward  the 
tion*  things  which  the  teacher  wants  him  to  learn. 

He  will  then  give  his  own  power  to  the  subject  and  its 
mastery,  and  will  himself  open  a  thousand  avenues  to 
his  nature  which  otherwise  would  be  closed.  It  is  a 
very  slow  process  to  wet  a  sponge  by  allowing  water  to 
drop  upon  it,  but  plunge  it  into  a  bucket  of  water  and 
the  sponge  is  soon  wet.  Trying  to  teach  the  child 
without  his  interest  and  his  attention  is  Thring's  ex- 
perience of  pumping  water  into  a  tea-kettle  when  the 
lid  is  on. 

The  range  of  motives  is  very  wide,  reaching  from  the 
214 


Motives — Kinds  and  Value       215 

lowest  form  of  physical  gratification  to  the  highest 
kind  of  spiritual  interest.  In  most  characters  there  is  a 
continual  struggle  among  different  motives 

for  the  ascendency,  but  one  governing  at      „    . s 

Motives, 
one  time  and  another  prevailing  at  another. 

One  of  our  hymns  asks  God  to  give  us  not  what  we 
want  but  what  we  need.  The  task  of  getting  us  to 
receive  what  we  really  need,  is  a  very  difficult  one. 
Every  well-balanced  character  has  its  dominant  motive, 
and  though  its  action  may  not  be  readily  apparent,  fre- 
quently the  whole  character  may  be  read  like  an  open 
book  when  the  dominant  motive  is  understood.  In  one 
life  the  feeling  of  duty  stands  above  all  else,  and  will 
lead  a  man  to  sacrifice  his  own  selfish  interest  and  the 
like  interests  of  any  of  his  friends  in  order  to  carry  out 
his  ideal  of  duty.  In  another  life,  physical  or  social 
gratification  is  the  dominant  motive,  and  everything  is 
sacrificed  to  this  end.  In  still  another  life,  love  of 
praise  or  public  approval  sways  all  motives  and  domi- 
nates conduct. 

1.  L,ove  of  Praise. — The  love  of  praise  is  strong  in 
the  American  character;  and,  judiciously  used,  is  one 
of  the  most  powerful  agencies  in  securing  right  con- 
duct;   but  in  many    people  it  becomes   unprofitably 
strong  and  so  leads  to  vain  and  silly  practices,  or  at 
least  to  trifling  behaviour  where  great  and  strong  con- 
duct should  be  found. 

2.  Desire  for  Power. —  The  desire  for  power  stirs 
every    human   heart.     It    is  a    natural    and    worthy 


216          Up  Through  Childhood 

motive,  provided  the  power  sought  is  of  the  right  sort, 
and  is  used  for  right  purposes. 

3.  Efficiency. — Closely  akin  to  this  is  the  desire  for 
efficiency,  indeed  this  is  often  a  condition  of  power.     In 
a  world  where  there  is  so  much  to  do  and  so  few  who 
are  really  efficient,  this  characteristic  ought  to  receive 
large  emphasis,    and  by  every  means  possible  there 
should  be  developed  in  the  mind  of  the  child  a  strong 
desire  to  be  efficient  in  the  whole  range  of  life's  duties 
and  requirements. 

4.  Love  of  Duty. —  Passing  by  the  lower  motives 
which  appeal  only  to  his  selfish  interests,  as  a  prize,  or 
fear  of  punishment  and  loss,  or  even  desire  for  praise, 
we  may  look  to  the  sense  of  duty  rightly  understood  as 
one  of  the  strongest  incentives  in  the  mind  of  any  well- 
trained  child.     It  is  not  only  "  stern  daughter  of  the, 
voice  of  God,"  but  also  a  strong  feeling  which  finds  its 
basis  in  the  child's  nature.     It  is  founded  on  the  great 
principle  of  justice,  and  grows  out  of  the  tremendous 
desire  to  be  exact,  definite,  and  sternly  and  greatly 
just. 

5.  Desire  for  Excellence.— There  is  a  desire  for  ex- 
cellence for  its  own  sake  which  with  older  children  is 
one  of  the  strong  and  noble  motives.     This  is  the  feel- 
ing which  animated  the  breast  of  Longfellow's  youth 
in  Excelsior,  and  took  him  past  warning,  creed,  hope 
of  domestic  bliss,  and  that  range  of  human  comforts 
which  so  widely  appeals  to  men,  to  the  far  mountain 
heights  where  the  spirit  lives  untrammelled  in  the  free- 


Motives — Kinds  and  Value       217 

dom  of  a  life  made  grander  day  by  day  in  the  unfailing 
struggle  for  excellence. 

6.  Great  Purposes. — A  great  purpose  has  been  born 
in  many  lives,  and  has  worked  out  in  silence  through 
the  years  a  colossal  human  life  which  men  have  gazed 
upon  with  delight  and  wonder.  To  arouse  in  the  mind 
of  a  child  or  youth  worthy  purposes  which  may  become 
supreme  in  life,  is  the  highest  privilege  of  parent  or 
teacher.  Not  a  few  are  taught  to  be  satisfied  with 
the  commonplace.  Our  democratic  life  is  tending  all 
the  while  to  level  down,  and  the  young  men  and  young 
women  of  fine  endowment  and  strong  aspirations  are 
counselled  to  be  prudent,  and  urged  to  conform  to  sur- 
roundings. The  whole  tendency  of  our  social  life  is 
the  tendency  to  conform,  to  be  artificial,  regular,  and 
commonplace.  The  commonplace  does  hold  things 
noble  and  good.  No  one  doubts  that  the  highest  places 
cannot  come  to  all,  but  this  eternal  cry  for  uniformity 
and  for  the  cheap  and  easy  satisfaction  which  is  coming 
to  be  preached  in  our  time  is  a  proclamation  of  death  to 
the  old  heroic  spirit,  and  it  subdues  and  destroys  those 
conditions  of  power  which  would  make  for  the  best  life 
of  the  individual.  The  rare  personal  flavour  is  lost  in 
the  aping  of  the  common  herd.  It  is  not  that  the 
world  is  to  be  governed  by  the  few  who  are  born  to  be 
noble  and  strong,  but  that  to  every  man  as  his  birth- 
right there  is  the  supreme  privilege  and  duty  of  becom- 
ing the  highest  and  best  that  his  endowment  will 
permit,  without  submitting  his  own  true  strong  in- 


218          Up  Through  Childhood 

stincts  to  the  social  law  of  *  *  all  alike  for  appearance* 
sake." 

7.  Activity. — The  nature  of  any  healthy  child  yearns 
for  action,  and  this  is  one  of  the  strongest  motives.     In 
the  earlier  years,  it  is  the  motive  on  which  we  may  de- 
pend with  greatest  assurance.     It  is  the  duty  of  the 
parent  or  teacher  to  guide  wisely  and  to  use  this  funda- 
mental principle  of  action  as  a  means  for  the  develop- 
ment of  the  life  of  the  child.     His  love  of  society,  love 
of  liberty,  his  love  of  happiness,  may  all  be  consulted 
as  conditioning  relations  for  the  true  motives  in  the  at- 
tainment of  a  given  end,  but  deeper  than  anything  else 
is  the  inherent  desire  of  the  child  nature  for  activity. 
We  should  see  that  the  end  is  worth  the  effort,  and  if 
the  subject  be  not  absolutely  distasteful,  there  will  soon 
spring  up  a  warm  human  interest,  and  the  work  will 
distance  the  most  ambitious  desire  of  any  teacher  who 
depends  only  on  external  agencies  for  interest. 

8.  lyoye. — Love  for  knowledge  in  general,  or  love  for 
the  parent  or  teacher,  and  love  for  the  end  to  be  gained, 
are  all  motives  which  under  right  conditions  may  ap- 
peal worthily  to  the  child's  best  nature.     There  is  no 
other  feeling  that  is  of  equal  force  in  the  development 
of  human  character  in  the  world;  and  yet  tremendous 
as  is  its  influence  it  is  only  in  the  highest  and  best  sense 
a  satisfactory  motive.     There  are  low  and  unworthy 
loves  that  are  deemed  holy,  that  are  but  a  kind  of  ex- 
treme selfishness.     Many  a  parent  at  the  child's  cradle 
lifts  his  thought  in  prayer  not  higher  than  the  im- 


Motives — Kinds  and  Value       219 

mediate  interests  of  the  little  being  who  commands  his 
life.  Day  by  day  a  mother  here  may  pay  her  uncon- 
scious idolatry.  'The  love  of  some  parents  for  their 
children  is  terrible  and  strong,  but  it  is  so  little  gov- 
erned by  reason  and  has  in  mind  to  so  slight  a  degree 
the  highest  good  of  the  child,  that  the  motive  is 
steadily  open  to  criticism.  Many  a  magnetic,  finely 
organised  primary  teacher  loves  the  little  children  with 
fearful' intensity.  They  return  this  feeling,  and  are 
swept  by  succeeding  waves  of  pain  or  pleasure  as  the 
teacher  approves  or  censures  their  behaviour.  Her 
highest  appeal  is  often  a  plea  for  them  to  obey  this  or 
that  command  for  love  of  her.  All  this  is  a  mistaken 
view  of  a  power  which  may  be  made  fine,  high,  and 
noble.  Human  affection  standing  on  the  highest  plane 
exalts  both  the  one  whose  breast  it  quickens  and  the 
one  who  causes  the  healing  activity. 

Any  treatment  of  motives  or  incentives  here  must 
necessarily  be  incomplete,  and  it  seems  to  me  that  there 
is  little  need  for  any  mention  of  bad  incen-  Goocj  and 
tives,  other  than  to  appeal  to  them  rarely  if  Bad  In- 
ever.  The  fundamental  consideration  in  centives. 
choice  of  motives  is  to  appeal  to  the  child  by  the  high- 
est possible  motive  which  will  act  in  his  nature.  It  is 
not  enough  that  good  things  should  be  done,  they 
should  be  done  from  right  motives  in  order  to  yield  the 
proper  results  in  character.  We  cannot  always  deter- 
mine the  motive  of  another,  but  frequently  it  is  so  ap- 
parent that  we  need  have  no  question  as  to  its  being 


220          Up  Through  Childhood 

right  or  wrong.  A  good  act  from  a  wrong  incentive 
may  profit  a  community,  but  so  far  as  building  up  the 
character  of  the  doer  is  concerned,  there  is  little  pros- 
pect that  he  will  be  better  after  the  deed  has  been  done 
than  before.  On  the  contrary,  the  incentive  which 
should  develop  his  character  is  not  there  to  act,  and  the 
good  deed  being  done,  he  is  praised  for  conduct  more 
or  less  deceptive. 

At  this  point  there  is  need  of  the  greatest  discretion 
and  charity.  Many  a  life  is  ruled  by  a  motive  not  ap- 
The  parent  on  the  surface;  and  though  it  may  act 

Hidden  strongly,  the  more  deeply  it  is  hidden  the 
Motives.  iess  tke  character  is  understood,  and  very 
often  the  more  severely  it  is  criticised. 

There  is  a  story  of  Pierre,  a  cheerful  French  youth, 
who  lived  as  his  fellows,  full  of  joy  and  gaiety.  He 
Illustration  l°nge(l  f°r  ^e  time  when  he  should  lead  to 
of  Hidden  a  simple  home  the  girl  his  heart  had  chosen. 
Motive.  -gut  ke  was  stricken  with  a  violent  fever;  for 
weeks  his  life  hung  in  the  balance.  Still  youth  and 
hope  were  strong.  All  through  the  weary  weeks  he 
begged  for  water  from  the  mountain-side  where  he  and 
his  playfellows  had  rambled.  The  fever  was  broken. 
After  a  time,  he  walked  among  his  friends  with  a 
pleasant  face  and  a  cordial  air,  but  now  and  then,  those 
who  watched  him  closely  saw  the  light  of  a  strong  pur- 
pose in  his  eyes.  He  said  nothing,  but  when  strength 
returned,  began  to  work  and  to  save  as  never  before. 
His  friends  urged  him  to  renew  the  ties  of  love.  He  met 


Motives — Kinds  and  Value       221 

all  entreaties  with  silence  and  a  smile.  Months  slipped 
away,  still  there  was  no  renewing  of  the  old  ties,  and 
no  effort  to  find  new  enjoyment.  The  years  sped  away. 
He  was  an  old  man;  one  evening  he  called  to  him  the 
village  priest  and  revealed  the  secret  purpose  of  his  life : 
it  was  to  provide  his  native  town  with  an  abundance  of 
pure,  fresh  water.  The  suffering  which  the  early  spell 
of  fever  had  burned  into  his  brain  resulted  in  the  for- 
mation of  a  purpose,  which  proved  to  be  his  life-long 
aim.  Early  and  late  he  had  toiled  so  that  none  should 
suffer  as  he  had  done.  Work  was  begun  at  once,  and 
before  long,  over  hill  and  valley,  from  a  mountain  lake 
was  led  the  crystal  stream  which  came  to  his  native 
town  with  healing,  and  graciously  wrought  out  in  its 
ministry  the  sacred  purpose  formed  in  the  mind  of  a 
boy  fifty  years  before. 

All  this  business  of  judging  and  estimating  other 
people's  motives,  particularly  in  youth  and  adult  life, 
is  a  difficult  and  questionable  proceeding.  Things 
The  thing  to  be  sought  is  an  increasing  Worth 
activity  on  the  part  of  the  child,  growing  While, 
out  of  that  state  of  mind  which  welcomes  the  truth. 
If  a  child  can  feel  that  his  work  is  worth  while,  he  is 
entirely  willing  to  spend  effort  to  gain  knowledge.  He 
must  realise  the  benefit  to  be  derived  in  the  end,  and 
the  good  to  be  accomplished  by  his  effort.  When  we 
are  planning  his  course  of  action,  he  must  see  or  feel 
the  relationship  of  his  effort  to  the  definite  end  which 
we  propose.  The  teacher's  course  is  to  study  the  mind 


222 


Up  Through  Childhood 


of  each  child,  to  take  hold  upon  the  interests  he  has, 
and  to  plan  for  such  an  increase  of  knowledge  and  ex- 
perience as  will  give  him  new  interests.  The  great 
thing  is  to  keep  before  his  mind  continually  the  idea 
which  it  is  worth  his  while  to  establish,  and  if  at  first 
he  fails  to  incorporate  it,  as  desired,  he  will,  by  trying 
again,  succeed,  and  with  each  new  success  life  will  be- 
come to  him  an  increasingly  rich,  beautiful,  and  joyful 
experience. 

The  human  mind  has  no  vacuum.  If  you  do  not  fill 
it  with  good  ideas  and  impulses,  it  will  gather  to  itself 
The  those  that  are  unworthy.  The  fundamental 

Expulsive    iaw  of  life  is  to  keep  the  mind  so  filled  with 

Power 

of  the  worthy    thoughts    and    so    occupied   with 

Higher  wholesome  activities  that  there  may  be 
Affection.  neitker  pjace  nor  desire  for  things  that  are 
unwholesome  or  unworthy.  With  love  as  a  motive,  it 
may  drive  out  all  other  and  lower  feelings,  and  make 
a  bright  and  beautiful  attainment.  Hate  and  fear  as 
motives  are  a  constant  menace,  and  lead  to  one  end — 
death.  The  character  which  is  dominated  by  either  of 
these  elements  has  already  lost  its  fineness,  and  will  in 
the  end  be  only  a  force  for  evil. 
Exercise  and  nourishment  are  the  conditions  of  life 

_  ,, .  , .  and  growth,  and  the  best  means  of  cultivat- 
Cultivation 

of  the          ing  right  motives  are  necessarily  those  which 

Right  will  give  them  nourishment  and  impel  to 
Motives. 

wholesome    exercise.      To    make    a   child 

a  strong  student,  we  must  first  rouse  his  interest,  and 


Motives — Kinds  and  Value       223 

bring  into  the  range  of  his  native  interest  the  knowledge 
we  wish  him  to  acquire. 

The  work  must  have  in  itself  a  certain  definite  value, 
or  beyond  the  work  there  must  lie  real  profit  from  its 
accomplishment.  Whenever  we  are  able  to  put  the 
work  and  the  end  in  such  relation  that  the  child  will 
desire  the  end,  the  work  will  take  care  of  itself.  In  a 
strong,  kindly,  and  pleasant  way,  keep  the  idea  before 
the  child's  mind  and  if  it  be  an  idea  worth  while  and 
suited  to  his  age  and  development,  it  will  grow  larger 
and  larger  in  his  range  of  mental  vision  until  it  be- 
comes the  dominant  force  of  his  active  life.  It  is  true 
that  regularity  will  favour  the  establishment  of  such 
habits  of  thought  and  action  as  will  lead  to  the  end  we 
have  in  view,  and  the  end  we  offer  must  be  large  and 
worthy.  Better  than  all  other  means  in  the  cultivation 
of  right  motives  is  a  genial  and  inspiring  home  life, 
and  a  strong,  kind,  hopeful  school  life.  The  soul  of 
the  teacher  must  touch  the  soul  of  the  child,  and  by 
that  magnetic  contact  of  life  with  life,  which  is  known 
but  not  understood,  results  can  be  obtained  which,  in 
their  wide  relations  and  accumulating  effects,  surpass 
the  wonders  of  old.  There  is  nothing  greater  than  that 
expansion  and  kindly  growth  which  bears  witness  to 
the  continual  right  unfolding  of  the  human  soul.  It  is 
hard  to  tell  how  great  a  change  would  be  wrought  in 
the  world  if  all  men  were  trying  to  do  things  that  are 
really  worth  while.  The  Germans  have  a  motto,  "The 
good  is  a  great  enemy  of  the  best. ' '  A  great  number 


224  Up  Through  Childhood 

of  things  that  are  comparatively  harmless  would  cease 
to  be  done,  if  men  in  general  were  thoroughly  imbued 
with  the  idea  of  doing  only  the  things  that  are  best 
worth  while.  This  living  of  a  miserable  commonplace 
life  without  aspiration  or  exaltation,  is  the  curse  of  this 
time.  It  is  one  of  the  fruits  of  a  selfish  and  worldly 
democracy,  which,  instead  of  seeking  the  highest  ex- 
cellence, seeks  only  that  degree  of  attainment  which 
will  pass  without  severe  censure. 

But  the  test  after  all  is  not  so  much  the  absolute 
value  of  any  particular  duty  or  course  of  action,  as 

the  end  toward  which  it  points.     From  this 
The  Test. 

standpoint,  the  logical  climax  of  any  course 

of  action  is  of  supreme  importance.  When  one  is 
planning  and  making  his  life  plan  or  modifying  it,  as 
he  must  from  month  to  month,  or  from  year  to  year,  he 
may  well  ask  himself:  "If  I  follow  out  to  its  legitimate 
end  the  course  I  have  taken,  where  will  it  lead  me? 
Can  I  continue  to  violate  the  laws  of  health  without 
insuring  an  early  death?  Can  I  have  unwholesome 
thoughts  without  the  outbreak  of  a  contagion  ?  Can  I 
hate  my  neighbour  without  hate  becoming  regnant  in 
my  life  ? ' '  The  questions  on  the  logical  climax  become 
a  touchstone  of  the  sound  character,  and  may  easily 
settle  for  a  young  man  a  great  many  vexed  questions. 
The  The  more  completely  the  life  is  dominated 

Place  for  by  the  intellect,  the  less  we  are  likely  to  ap- 
Emotion.  prOye  the  emotions.  But  emotion  has  justly 
a  great  place  in  human  character.  It  has  often  the 


Motives — Kinds  and  Value       225 

power  of  summoning  the  entire  strength  of  the  indi- 
vidual to  accomplish  a  given  end.  As  a  rule,  great 
natures  love  much  and  sorrow  much.  Those  who  have 
tasted  every  cup  of  suffering  and  still  have  failed  not 
have  been  the  ones  who  have  so  deeply  blessed  their 
kind.  Emotion  accomplishes  remarkable  things;  yet 
along  with  the  good  it  accomplishes,  there  is  much 
spending  of  energy,  and  in  many  cases  such  a  complete 
wasting  of  one's  power  that  he  is  less  useful  than  his 
endowment  warrants.  If  it  is  a  noble  and  beautiful 
emotion  that  dominates,  it  makes  him  the  sport  of  the 
changing  winds  of  circumstance.  If  he  loves  art  until 
it  has  become  a  passion,  all  that  is  rude,  coarse,  and 
inartistic  becomes  a  source  of  ever-present  irritation. 
If  he  has  gone  so  far  toward  the  ideal  as  to  be  out  of 
sympathy  with  the  real,  he  can  find  no  point  of  contact 
for  helpful  service  to  his  kind.  Sometimes  he  is  made 
the  painful  subject  for  the  practices  of  careless  or  de- 
signing people.  But  these  forms  are  unusual  and  rap- 
idly tend  to  right  themselves.  We  live  in  a  wholesome 
world,  and  all  the  great  natural  forces  tend  toward  the 
establishment  of  harmony.  The  greatest  harm  comes 
to  him  who  indulges  in  that  kind  of  emotional  dissipa- 
tion which  so  many  people  seem  to  welcome  as  a  means 
of  acknowledgment  and  sometimes  even  of  righteous- 
ness. There  sweep  over  them  frequent  storms  of  emo- 
tion; they  love,  hope,  fear,  and  enjoy  like  a  tempest. 
Not  a  few  people  look  with  great  favour  upon  periods 

of  special  exaltation,  whether  it  be  social  or  religious; 
15 


226  Up  Through  Childhood 

but  after  the  party,  they  are  so  completely  spent  as  to 
live  like  beasts  or  devils;  or  after  the  protracted  meet- 
ing, so  hateful  as  to  raise  the  question  whether  they 
have  religion  at  all.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the 
highest  social  enjoyment  must  be  taken  in  moderation; 
and  that  the  highest  religious  life  usually  comes  as  the 
still  small  voice,  rather  than  as  the  mountain  tempest. 
There  are  times  when  whole  communities  need  to  be 
mightily  stirred,  and  anything  which  may  deeply  rouse 
to  the  best  life  should  be  heartily  welcomed.  There 
are  times  when  the  individual  heart  needs  to  be  hum- 
bled and  broken,  and  a  storm  of  feeling  may  then  be  the 
highest  grace;  but  I  cannot  welcome  the  hot-house  meth- 
ods that  are  so  often  adopted  in  dealing  with  young  and 
wholesome  natures.  The  excitement  is  untrue,  unnat- 
ural, and  unwholesome,  and  after  it  is  over  the  children 
find  themselves  completely  worn  out  with  the  tremen- 
dous expenditure  of  energy;  the  body  and  the  mind  are 
left  in  a  state  of  pitiable  weakness.  A  season  of  depres- 
sion follows,  and  the  whole  life  touches  a  lower  level, 
where  many  forms  of  temptation  present  themselves, 
and  where  vigorous  thought  and  action  are  impossible. 
There  must  be  a  close  and  recognised  relation  be- 
tween the  effort  made  and  the  end  to  be  gained.  No 
Relation  matter  in  religion  is  more  important  than 

between       ^     and  whenever  the  child  can  be  brought 

Effort  and 

Accom-        to  recognise  this  relationship  he  is  far  on  the 

plishment.    rOad  toward  the  willing  practice  of  excel- 
lence.    A  complete  surrender  to  one's  highest  ideal 


Motives — Kinds  and  Value       227 

makes  right  living  a  pleasure,  and  instead  of  the  long 
hard  struggle  which  characterises  so  many  lives,  there 
come  the  supreme  joy  and  tangible  victory  because  the 
surrender  to  righteousness  has  been  complete.  This 
ideal  character  often  combines  a  number  of  the  highest 
and  best  human  motives,  and  when  there  is  a  complete 
surrender  to  it,  it  is  possible  for  the  young,  and  par- 
ticularly those  in  the  period  of  adolescence,  to  win  a 
victory  altogether  beyond  that  gained  by  men  in  later 
life,  when  they  have  unconsciously  substituted  the 
commonplace  for  the  great  ideal,  when  life  has  lost  its 
purposeful  edge,  and  they  are  living  on  a  threadbare 
past  resolve,  rather  than  on  a  new,  strong,  close- woven 
present,  wherein  the  thrilling  tissues  of  daily  life  are 
shot  through  with  the  vital  threads  of  the  divine. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

HABIT  —  GENERAL 


IT  is  now  generally  accepted  that  habit  has  a  physi- 
cal basis,  and  that  it  is  dependent  upon  molecular 
changes  in  the  brain,  or,  to  speak  rather 
of  Habit  crudely,  upon  brain  paths  through  which 
nervous  force  makes  its  escape  in  time  of 
neural  excitation.  These  paths  have  been  likened  to 
the  channels  which  a  little  stream  of  water  cuts  for  it- 
self as  it  falls  upon  a  pile  of  sand.  To  state  the  same 
thought  in  another  figure,  just  as  a  coat  settles  into 
wrinkles  to  fit  the  peculiar  form  of  the  wearer  and  will 
not  easily  modify  itself  to  another  form,  so  the  mind 
takes  a  certain  form  of  nervous  discharge,  or  manifests 
a  special  form  of  neural  activity.  Again,  it  may  be  il- 
lustrated by  a  paper  which,  folded  in  a  particular  place, 
ever  after  tends  to  fold  in  the  same  place. 

The  practical  value  of  habit  is: 
Practical          *•  That  it  simplifies  movements. 
Value  of          2.  That  it  makes  them  accurate. 
Habit.  ^  ^hat  it  Diminishes  fatigue. 

Man  has  a  tendency  to  do  many  things,  and  yet  for 
each  particular  class  of  duties  his  nerve  centres  must  be 

228 


Habit — General  Laws  229 

trained,  and  practice  in  performing  any  class  of  actions 
must  result  in  the  formation  of  habit.  Practice,  in  the 
end,  makes  perfect.  It  enables  one  to  cut  across 
corners  and  meet  the  various  requirements  with  the 
fewest  movements  and  the  least  amount  of  nervous 
force  possible  to  one  with  his  organisation.  By  prac- 
tice he  comes  to  understand  himself  and  the  amount  of 
energy  necessary  to  reach  a  given  result.  As,  for  in- 
stance, that  he  must,  with  his  tennis  racket,  strike  the 
ball  in  serving  just  so  hard  in  order  that  it  may  fall  in 
the  right  place.  This  practice  tends  to  make  his  move- 
ments accurate.  The  saving  of  unnecessary  move- 
ments and  the  advantage  of  having  these  movements 
accurate  and  unarrested  diminish  fatigue.  Professor 
James  calls  habit  the  ''fly-wheel  of  society,"  and  it 
does  indeed  keep  men  in  their  established  walks  of  life. 
Without  it,  there  would  be  not  only  loss  of  time  but 
continuous  dissension,  uncertainty,  and  waste  of  effort. 
Its  value  in  the  school  is  very  great,  and  I  am  sure  one 
will  think  at  once  of  simplicity  and  accuracy  of  move- 
ment and  economy  of  effort  as  qualities  directly  applica- 
ble in  the  life  of  the  student.  The  habit  of  attendance 
at  Sunday-school  and  church,  the  habit  of  reverence 
and  propriety  of  behaviour  are  desirable,  and  may  be 
readily  established  when  conditions  are  at  all  favour- 
able. Habit  covers  modes  of  action  and  states  of 
feeling;  many  persons  who  are  usually  ill  have  so  es- 
tablished the  habit  that  they  really  seem  to  enjoy  poor 
health.  Others  have  established  a  complaining  and 


230          Up  Through  Childhood 

fault-finding  habit,  until  such  behaviour  affords  them 
a  certain  dreary  satisfaction.  Habit  sets  early  in  life, 
and  with  a  little  foresight  can  be  established  in  almost 
any  direction.  Its  value  in  moral  training  is  at  once 
evident. 

Habit    is    physical,    intellectual,    and    moral.      Its 

wholesome  effect  in  the  physical  may  include  the  right 

posture  of  body,  right  habits  of  taste  and 

Physical  eatingj  the  habit  of  discipline  of  the  body 
rid,  bits. 

and  of  avoiding  all  things  which  are  known 
as  hurtful.  The  benefit  of  careful  and  accurate  habits 
of  physical  action  can  scarcely  be  overrated,  and  the 
good  effects  of  these  tend  to  permeate  all  the  activities 
of  life. 

To  observe  closely,  think  clearly  and  quickly,  to  re- 
member accurately  and  readily  the  things  within  the 
range  of  one's  acquaintance  and  experience, 
Habits         an(^  to  state  accurately,  are  types  of  intel- 
lectual habits,  and  such  types  as  contribute 
to  the  highest  excellence. 

One  of  the  signs  of  generous  mental  furnishing  is 
found  in  the  willingness  to  accept  the  work  of  those 

who  are  experts,  in  lines  where  we  are  be- 
Moral 
Habits         gmners.    This  disposition  must  be  exercised 

with  some  care,  specially  that  we  may  choose 
only  those  who  are  experts,  to  deliver  opinions  for  us. 
But  there  is  a  danger  that  comes  to  those  who  have 
this  generous  mental  furnishing,  even  more  than 
others.  Having  examined  the  subject  once  in  a  life- 


Habit — General  Laws  231 

time  carefully,  there  is  a  general  disposition  to  regar^i 
the  matter  as  settled  for  all  time,  and  a  corresponding 
unwillingness  to  receive  new  light  on  the  question. 
This  is  well  illustrated  by  a  story  that  comes  to  us 
from  the  Academy  of  Sciences  in  France. 

In  March,  1878,  one  of  the  French  savants  exhibited 
a  phonograph  at  the  meeting  of  the  Academy,  and  ex- 
plained its  workings.  A  member  of  the  Academy, 
who  was  inhospitable  to  these  ideas,  rushed  up  to  the 
scientist  and  berated  him  soundly  for  his  attempt  to 
deceive  the  members  of  that  learned  body  by  the  trick 
of  ventriloquism,  and  so  firmly  was  he  fixed  in  this 
view  that  six  months  later  he  published  a  magazine 
article  denouncing  in  unmeasured  terms  the  phono- 
graph and  its  exhibitor.  Of  a  much  more  important 
character  is  an  entry  in  the  private  journal  of  an  Eng- 
lishman who,  about  1760,  was  visiting  one  of  the  in- 
sane asylums  in  France.  As  he  was  passing  through 
one  of  the  wards  a  patient  was  trying  by  every  means 
in  his  power  to  attract  the  visitor's  attention.  The 
physician  said:  "O  give  no  attention  to  him,  he  has 
been  worrying  the  life  out  of  the  Bishop  of  Paris  for 
the  last  year,  trying  to  get  his  attention  to  an  invention 
which  he  has  for  making  vessels  go  against  the  wind 
by  means  of  steam  raised  from  water."  Sad  enough  it 
is,  that  at  that  time  the  intellectual  habits  bound  men 
so  strongly  that  they  could  not  free  themselves.  But 
it  is  quite  as  likely  that  future  generations  will  look 
back  upon  our  time  of  boasted  intelligence,  and  point 


232  Up  Through  Childhood 

out  errors  among  us  which  in  their  character  are  quite 
as  humiliating,  and  in  effect,  just  as  pathetic. 

It  is  indeed  true  that  every  child  must  pass  through 
the  general  process  of  acquisition,  and  must  make  his 

own,  the  common  knowledge  of  the  race; 
How  Habit  d  that  he  .  neyer  able  t  b  in  where  jlis 
Enslaves. 

ancestors  left  off.     When  he  has  reached 

the  point  where  he  is  thoroughly  conversant  with  the 
knowledge  of  the  past,  he  settles  down  to  hard  and  fast 
opinions  on  questions  of  common  knowledge,  and  with 
increase  in  age  becomes  more  and  more  unwilling  to 
receive  new  ideas  and  to  consider  new  statements. 

Barn  urn's  great  show  was  nearing  its  destination  at 
an  Ontario  town  one  night,  when  suddenly  the  train 
was  wrecked.  Jumbo,  the  great  elephant,  was  killed; 
and  as  the  cars  were  heaped  one  upon  another  many 
of  the  cages  were  injured.  That  of  the  royal  Bengal 
tiger  was  sadly  broken.  The  huge  beast  crawled  care« 
fully  out  from  his  cage,  looked  about  him,  stretching 
his  limbs  as  if  to  enjoy  the  new-found  liberty,  and 
then,  overcome  with  fear  at  the  responsibility  of  his 
new  powers  and  bound  by  the  habits  of  his  old  cap- 
tivity, this  monster,  that  might  have  made  the  animals 
of  the  Asiatic  jungle  flee  and  tremble,  crawled  in  fear 
back  into  his  cage  and  waited  until  the  keeper  closed 
him  in  and  set  the  cage  aside.  The  animals  of  the 
menagerie  are  not  the  only  ones  bound  by  chains  too 
strong  to  be  broken,  and  these  chains  are  often  those 
of  the  mind  rather  than  those  of  the  body. 


Habit — General  Laws  233 

There  is  an  Oriental  story  of  a  prisoner  who  was 
sentenced  to  solitary  confinement  for  life.  It  was  in 
his  young  manhood,  and  his  heart  was  breaking  as  he 
bade  his  friends  farewell  and  was  borne  to  his  living 
tomb.  Winter  changed  to  spring,  summer  to  autumn, 
and  the  round  of  the  years  followed  each  other  with 
uncounted  haste,  until  the  man  was  old  and  broken. 
A  new  ruler  came  to  the  throne,  and  signalised  his 
ascension  to  power  by  liberating  all  those  who  had 
been  in  prison  more  than  ten  years.  The  old  man 
came  blinking  out  into  the  joyous  light  of  day.  He 
was  led  to  his  native  town,  and  turned  here  and  there 
in  the  old  streets  which  his  foot  had  pressed  in  boy- 
hood. The  house  in  which  he  had  dwelt  was  gone; 
wife  and  children  had  sunk  into  the  grave.  The  man 
was  alone  in  the  world  that  had  grown  beyond  him. 
Overcome  with  grief  at  the  new  sorrow  that  had  fallen 
upon  him,  he  rushed  into  the  presence  of  his  ruler  and 
begged  him  that  he  might  again  be  imprisoned,  for 
so  he  could  find  his  only  happiness. 

It  seems  to  me  quite  possible  to  accustom  one's  self 
so  thoroughly  to  perform  the  duties  of  life,  promptly 
and  pleasantly,  that  there  may  be  but  little  demand 
upon  the  purpose  and  the  will  for  anything  outside  of 
the  larger  and  more  exacting  questions  which  arise  in 
one's  daily  experience.  Why  should  one  continually  be 
questioning  whether  he  should  be  true  or  generous? 
Why  should  he  hesitate  and  make  it  a  matter  of  de- 
cision each  time  he  is  to  perform  a  gentlemanly  act  ? 


234  Up  Through  Childhood 

Cannot  all  these  things  be  so  thoroughly  established  in 
childhood  that  they  may  be  made  almost  instinctive  ? 
Habit  includes  action,  thought,  and  feeling,  and  when 
rightly  established  may  be  made  a  source  of  continual 
uplifting.  In  business  life,  the  habit  of  success  is  one 
of  the  great  factors  in  winning  just  that  for  which  we 
seek  most  earnestly.  The  importance  of  succeeding  in 
what  is  worth  doing  can  scarcely  be  overrated.  It  is 
a  sad  mistake  to  keep  anyone  continually  striving  in  a 
field  where  he  cannot  hope  to  gain  success.  To  keep 
a  boy  in  a  class,  where  his  best  efforts  can  be  rewarded 
only  by  failure  from  the  point  of  view  of  his  mates,  or 
in  the  family  to  keep  a  child  occupied  with  things 
which  he  can  never  do  well,  is  little  less  than  criminal. 
No  wonder  that  such  a  one  early  questions  the  value  of 
what  he  is  undertaking,  and  at  last  is  doubtful  whether 
life  is  worth  living. 

We  are  coming  to  recognise  more  and  more  the  whole 
range  of  mental  activities  which  lie  beyond  the  con- 
The  Sub-  scious,  and  yet  play  so  large  a  part  in  our 
Conscious  mental  life.  For  convenience,  I  shall  here 
Field'  call  that  region  the  sub-conscious  field. 
Many  a  thing  forgotten  is  not  wholly  lost,  but  is  called 
from  the  hazy  realm  to  which  it  has  escaped,  the  mo- 
ment we  take  hold  of  an  idea  closely  related  to  it.  For 
example,  you  forget  the  name  of  the  person  whom  you 
once  knew  well;  you  see  the  common  friend  with 
whom  you  have  met  in  former  days,  and  at  once  the 
forgotten  name  comes  to  you.  Or  instead,  you  call  to 


Habit — General  Laws  235 

mind  something  associated  with  the  place  where  you 
met  the  person,  running  over  the  matter  till  you  say, 
"  Yes,  his  name  begins  with  M,  and  the  next  letter  is 
e  !  "  L,ittle  by  little  you  are  lifting  into  the  realm  of 
consciousness  the  forgotten  name,  until  all  at  once  it 
bursts  fully  recognised  into  the  mind. 

In  our  earlier  lessons,  we  have  discussed  conscious- 
ness and  memory,  and  have  spoken  of  forgetting  as  if 
it  were  an  art.  The  forgotten  fact  is  not,  Nothing 
however,  wholly  lost,  but  sinks  into  sub-  Is  Ever 
consciousness,  from  which  it  may  be  called  Lost  from 
at  any  instant  by  taking  hold  upon  ideas  the  Mind, 
closely  related  thereto.  The  following  story  gives  both 
lesson  and  warning. 

Some  years  ago,  a  man,  living  in  a  Southern  city, 
followed  out  for  two  or  three  years  a  life  of  sin.  He 
went  to  the  North,  was  converted,  and  began  a  strong 
and  virtuous  life.  After  four  years  of  the  new  life,  he 
returned  to  his  Southern  home  to  visit  his  mother. 
He  reached  a  city  twenty  miles  from  his  destination, 
where  he  had  to  wait  for  a  connecting  train.  This  had 
been  the  place  of  his  evil  life.  At  once,  the  old  de- 
sires and  appetites  came  with  tremendous  force  upon 
him.  All  the  noble  living  of  the  last  four  years,  all 
the  prayers,  aspirations,  and  resolutions  were  forgot- 
ten, and  he  gave  himself  to  a  round  of  dissipation 
which  lasted  until  he  was  exhausted.  The  explana- 
tion is,  that  these  thoughts  and  associations  had 
been  buried  in  the  sub-conscious  field  until  a  group  of 


Up  Through  Childhood 

associated  ideas  was  called  strongly  to  his  mind  by  the 
scenes  of  his  early  experiences.  This  was  more  than 
he  could  resist. 

The  importance  of  guarding  the  young  man  against 
evil  impressions  is  directly  enforced  by  this  doctrine  of 

the  sub-conscious  field.  Every  boy,  as  well 
Youn  as  everv  £""!>  should  be  shielded  from  the 

words  and  sights  of  vice.  All  reasonable 
curiosity  of  the  growing  child,  with  reference  to  the 
great  laws  of  his  being,  should  be  satisfied  early,  in 
clean  language  and  by  right  methods,  and  through  the 
agency  of  a  loving  parent  or  friend,  rather  than  by 
means  of  information  stealthily  furnished  by  ignorant 
servants  or  by  evil  companions. 

Vice  is  a  monster  of  so  frightful  mien, 
As,  to  be  hated,  needs  but  to  be  seen  ; 
But  seen  too  oft,  familiar  with  her  face, 
We  first  endure,  then  pity,  then  embrace. 

POPE. 

But  the  field  of  this  activity  is  not  less  strong  for 
righteousness.  In  early  life  there  may  be  stored  such 
visions  of  beauty  and  comfort,  by  a  living  acquaintance 
with  nature,  as  to  make  these  memories  charming  and 
fruitful  through  the  darker  experiences  of  age.  The 
mind  may  be  stored  with  noble  sentiments,  including 
the  best  that  has  been  said  or  thought  in  the  ages  gone, 
with  high  ideals  and  refined  expressions,  making  all 
the  life  richer  and  truer,  and  these,  at  the  need  of  the 
hour,  will  come  back  with  increasing  blessing. 


I 

UNIVERSITY 

OF 


Habit-^GTeneral  Laws  237 

Habit  Forming 

A  large  measure  of  our  time  and  energy  in  life  is 
spent  in  reformation,  but  here  or  there  a  great  teacher 
or  philanthropist  proposes  to  substitute  for-  c 
mation  for  reformation.  I  take  it  that  the 
most  hopeful  sign  of  these  times  is  to  be  found  in  the 
large  attention  given  to  right  training  and  the  establish- 
ment of  right  habits.  No  teacher  who  looks  toward 
the  formation  of  character  can  think  lightly  of  this  im- 
portant field  of  activity.  All  right  habits  are  formed 
under  the  condition  of  quick,  active,  and  successful 
efforts. 

It  is  well  to  provide  against  temptation,  but  there  is 
something  higher  than  overcoming  evil  habits.  It  is 
found  in  establishing  good  ones;  the  life  must  be  so 
full  of  things  that  are  worth  doing,  that  the  habit  of  do- 
ing the  best  may  become  a  permanent  mode  of  thought 
and  action.  This  will  include  physical  habits,  mental 
habits,  and  moral  habits.  Each  of  these  will  be 
greatly  helped  by  the  further  determination  and  prac- 
tice of  keeping  ourselves  up  to  the  best.  It  is  in  the 
moment  when  we  sink  low,  when  the  moral  life  is  in 
abeyance,  when  the  nervous  energy  is  overcome,  that 
we  do  the  unworthy  things.  But  in  the  hour  of 
strength  we  live  the  life  of  victory,  and  we  feel  worthy 
when  we  behave  ourselves  worthily.  There  is  to  be  no 
nursing  of  unholy  memories,  no  culture  of  the  thoughts 
that  will  yield  a  harvest  of  sin. 


238  Up  Through  Childhood 

For  the  formation  of  a  new  habit,  it  is  desirable: 

1.  To  put  all  the  energy  possible  into  the  action 
which  you  wish  to  make  habitual.     If  it  deals  with  the 
body,  energise  the  muscles  which  you  wish  to  make 
active,  and  call  yourself  again  and  again  not  only  to 
action,  but  to  the  thought  of  the  action.     I^et  the  ideal 
of  that  which  you  wish  to  become,  or  what  you  wish 
to  do,  be  stamped  so  thoroughly  on  the  consciousness 
that  it  will  spring  to  the  mind  in  the  first  waking 
moment,  and  serve  as  a  controlling  force  even  in  that 
partly  conscious  state  which  lies  within  the  realm  of 
sleep. 

2.  You  will  keep   away  from  those  surroundings 
which  will  act  against  the  establishment  of  the  desired 
habit.     In  short,  avoid  temptation.     The  tremendous 
pull  of  those  ideas  which  may  lie  in  the  sub-conscious 
field  must  not  be  allowed  to  act  against  a  habit  to  be 
formed.     It  is  often  a  matter  of  the  highest  courage  to 
run  away  from  dangerous  surroundings  or  ideas.     Only 
those  who  have  felt  the  power  of  a  strong  temptation 
can  fully  realise  the  effort  that  is  necessary  to  insure 
victory.     And,  as  a  matter  of  mental  hygiene,  it  is 
better  to  avoid  temptation,  than  to  meet  it  with  the 
risk  of  failure. 

3.  Every  time  there  is  an  opportunity,  repeat  the 
action  until  it  becomes  a  habit. 

4.  Allow  no  exception  to  occur  while  the  habit  is  in 
the  critical  stage  of  formation.     For  example,  if  you 
have  resolved  to  form  the  habit  of  early  rising,  do  not 


Habit — General  Laws  239 

permit  yourself  to  enjoy  the  luxury  of  lying  in  bed  for 
even  a  little  quarter  of  an  hour  beyond  the  time  which 
you  have  assigned.  And  not  only  must  you  insist  with 
yourself  upon  this  once,  but  again  and  again,  until  the 
habit  of  early  rising  is  fully  established. 

5.  This  is  mightily  helped  by  a  complete  surrender 
of  the  mind  to  do  all  that  is  necessary;  if  there  is  the 
least  hesitation  or  doubting,  or  the  least  calculation  to 
determine  whether  the  result  is  worth  the  cost,  the 
outcome  of  all  the  effort  is  doubtful.  A  complete  sur- 
render to  the  ideas  which  you  wish  to  establish,  means 
victory. 

One  of  the  most  important  duties  that  parents  have 
to  perform  is  that  of  securing  in  their  children  the  es- 
tablishment of  right  personal  habits.  It  is 
just  as  easy  for  a  child  to  establish  those  Personal 
habits  of  cleanliness,  neatness,  and  winning 
behaviour,  which  will  make  him  personally  attractive, 
as  to  establish  those  habits  which  will  make  him  un- 
consciously repulsive  to  his  fellows.  Personal  habits 
are  for  the  most  part  formed  before  the  age  of  twenty, 
and  parents  should  insist  upon  the  formation  of  right 
habits  in  items  of  toilet — such  as  brushing  the  clothes, 
selecting  apparel,  and  the  whole  round  of  delicate  at- 
tentions necessary  to  make  one's  self  presentable  for 
appearance  in  cultivated  society.  One  of  the  most  im- 
portant services  a  parent  can  render  to  a  child  is  to 
teach  him  to  buy  his  own  clothes.  In  not  a  few  in- 
stances, young  men  and  young  women  have  been 


240  Up  Through  Childhood 

brought  up  to  depend  so  entirely  upon  their  parents 
that,  when  they  have  reached  maturity,  they  find  them- 
selves utterly  unprepared  to  make  proper  selections. 

Business  habits  settle   themselves   from   twenty  to 
thirty,  and  a  man  who  in  these  years  has  acquired  a 

slow  method  of  doing  his  work,  is  in  danger 
Business 
Habits.        of  continuing  that  method  to  the  end  of  his 

life.  The  young  minister  begins  to  take 
upon  himself  the  tone  and  mannerisms  of  the  pulpit. 
The  young  physician  adopts  an  attitude  of  mind  and  a 
carriage  of  body  in  harmony  with  his  profession.  The 
fact  that  any  business  will  stamp  its  characteristics 
upon  the  worker  is  a  satisfactory  explanation  of  the 
difficulty  which  most  men  find  in  taking  up  a  new 
business  late  in  life.  For,  not  only  the  body  must  be 
educated  for  the  new  occupation,  but  the  whole  range 
of  natural  powers.  There  are  new  calls  for  judgment, 
new  things  to  be  remembered,  and  on  every  side  calls 
by  the  hundred,  different  from  those  to  which  the 
worker  has  been  accustomed.  Since  religion  should 
consist  in  life  rather  than  in  ceremonies,  the  formation 
of  habits  should,  in  some  directions,  be  wisely  encour- 
aged, and,  in  others,  strongly  resisted.  In  the  latter 
class  fall  those  habits  which  tend  to  deprive  the  higher 
life  of  all  the  juices  and  fineness  of  the  spiritual  na- 
ture. Men  who  take  part  in  conference  meetings, 
without  feeling,  and  without  guarding  their  thought, 
will  in  time  come  to  pray  the  same  prayer  and  make 
the  same  speech  over  and  over  again.  And  many  of 


Habit — General  Laws  241 

those  who  object  to  a  written  prayer,  have  not  the 
slightest  hesitation  in  using  the  same  stereotyped  form 
which  they  have  used  for  twenty  years.  The  only 
protection  against  this  strong  tendency  to  habit  forma- 
tion is  to  be  found  in  growth  of  the  mind  and  the 
grace  of  the  heart.  I  would  not  fail  to  impress  the  im- 
portance of  the  experimental  life.  However  excellent 
the  habits,  unless  character  is  sustained  by  a  strong 
purposeful  edge  of  choice  and  activity,  there  cannot  be 
strong  and  true  growth  in  the  best  things. 

16 


CHAPTER  XX 
TRAINING  THE  wm, 


"  IRRESOLUTION  is  a  fatal  habit;  it  is  not  vicious  in 
itself,  but  it  leads  to  vice,  creeping  upon  its  victims 

with  a  fatal  facility,  the  penalty  of  which 

many  a  fine  heart  has  paid  on  the  scaffold. 

The  idler,  the  spendthrift,  the  epicure,  and 
the  drunkard  are  among  its  victims.  Perhaps  in  the 
last  its  effect  appears  in  the  most  hideous  form.  He 
knows  that  the  goblet  he  is  about  to  drain  is  poison, 
yet  he  swallows  it.  He  knows  —  for  the  example  of 
thousands  has  painted  it  in  glaring  colours  —  that  it  will 
deaden  all  his  faculties,  take  the  strength  from  his 
heart,  oppress  him  with  disease,  and  hurry  his  progress 
to  a  dishonoured  grave,  yet  he  drains  it.  How  beau- 
tiful, on  the  contrary,  is  the  power  of  resolution,  en- 
abling the  one  who  possesses  it  to  pass  through  perils 
and  dangers,  trials  and  temptations!  " 

Will  has  its  foundation  in  the  nervous  system,  and  it 

is  governed  by  causes  operative  to  a  great 
The  Will,  degree  below  the  stream  of  consciousness,  or, 

as  one  may  say,  in  the  sub-conscious  region. 
Moved  by  these  hidden  springs  of  action,  we  some- 

242 


Training  the  Will  243 

times  do  things  that  astonish  ourselves  as  much  as  other 
people.  Certain  it  is  that  we  are  modified  by  the  past  ex- 
periences of  ourselves  and  our  ancestors.  The  will  lies 
very  near  to  feeling,  and  it  is  with  difficulty  that  we  dis- 
tinguish it  from  feeling.  For  in  all  consideration  of  the 
will  we  should  remember  that  thought  is  essentially 
motor,  and  that  from  the  mere  fact  of  holding  a  certain 
idea  before  the  mind,  that  idea  will  gradually  enlarge 
and  take  stronger  hold  until  it  dominates  thought  and 
determines  action.  Strictly  speaking,  the  immediate 
effect  of  our  will  is  seen  in  outward  bodily  movements. 

Will  involves  primarily  decision,  and  secondarily,  as 
its  outward  sign,  action.  James  gives  five  chief  types 
of  decision: 

First  type,  the  reasonable.  Here  the  arguments 
for  and  against  a  given  course  seem  slowly  and  steadily 

and  wisely  to  settle  themselves  in  the  mind 

Types  of 
and  to  have  a  clear  balance  in  favour  of  one     Decision. 

alternative,  which  we  then  adopt.  Until 
we  come  to  the  point  of  decision  we  feel  that  the  evi- 
dence is  not  all  in,  and  realise  that  decision  will 
be  unwise  until  we  have  all  the  light  possible  on  the 
subject.  Reasons  seem  to  flow  in  upon  our  minds, 
and  we  decide.  The  important  thing  here  is  a  right 
conception  of  the  problem  to  be  solved.  Man  is  reason- 
able when  his  stock  of  stable  and  worthy  ends  so  de- 
termines his  course  that  he  is  not  willing  to  adopt  a 
course  of  action  that  will  violate  any  one  of  these 
ends. 


244          Up  Through  Childhood 

Second  type.  In  this  we  allow  ourselves  to  drift 
quietly  in  any  direction  until  at  last  the  decision  is 
made  from  without. 

Third  type.  Here  decision  also  seems  to  be  acci- 
dental, but  comes  from  within.  Many  of  the  great  men 
of  history  have  had  this  type  of  decision.  They  have 
paused  until  the  inner  forces  of  their  nature  gather 
themselves  for  action,  and  finding  that  they  can  no 
longer  stand  the  pent-up  energy,  there  is  a  tumultuous 
turn  of  thoughts  and  feeling,  and  the  decision  is  fixed. 
Witness  Luther,  Napoleon,  and  Hannibal. 

Fourth  type.  This  comes  from  a  peculiar  inward 
change  by  which  we  suddenly  pass  from  the  easy  and 
careless  to  the  sober  and  strenuous  mood.  The  whole 
scale  of  our  values,  motives,  and  impulses  has  under- 
gone a  change.  Needs  no  longer  seem  as  before. 
This  is  the  type  of  will  which  includes  those  changes 
of  heart  and  awakening  of  conscience  of  which  we 
wisely  make  so  much  in  religious  experiences.  By 
force  of  the  inward  power,  we  rise  to  a  higher 
level. 

Fifth  type.  The  fifth  type  is  one  in  which,  the  evi- 
dence being  all  in,  we  come  to  a  decision  by  inward 
effort  and  a  heave  of  the  will.  These  are  the  decisions 
which  men  remember  longest,  because  of  the  effort 
which  it  seems  to  cost  to  make  them.  With  a  desire 
for  open-mindedness,  reasonable  behaviour  and  delib- 
erative action  ought  to  be  nourished.  Deliberation  not 
only  requires  calmness,  and  reasonable  delay  of  de- 


Training  the  Will  245 

cision,  but  it  requires  a  wide  range  of  knowledge  and 
the  understanding  of  several  ways  by  which  we  may 
arrive  at  the  desired  end.  Ideas  must  precede  decision. 

"  If  an  intelligent  physician  has  an  idea  of  twenty- 
five  methods  of  treating  rheumatism,  he  may  vary  his 
treatment  accordingly,  and  may  succeed  where  a  less 
skilled  doctor  would  fail.  If  a  business  man  has  a 
dozen  ideas  to  fit  a  given  emergency,  he  may  act  in 
any  of  these  directions;  if  he  has  but  one  idea,  he  can 
act  in  but  one  direction.  Ideas  must  precede  to  open  a 
path  for  intelligent  action." — HAUvECK. 

Any  plan  for  will-training  which  does  not  include 
the  thought  of  apprenticeship  in  right  living  must  in 
its  nature  prove  a  failure.  First  a  thought,  A  rentice- 
then  a  deed,  then  a  habit.  There  has  been  ship  in 
in  educational  circles  many  a  protest  against  Right 

moral   teaching   and   against  all  plans  for 
practice  in  righteousness,  but  there  must  be  definite 
teaching  of  moral  principles  and  purposeful  practice  of 
moral  actions,  otherwise  we  can  never  hope  for  strong 
character. 

How  can  you  reach  the  will  of  a  child  ?  You  can 
storm  the  will,  you  may  even  break  it;  but  the  wisest 

course  is  to  win  the  will,  and  that  end  is        „ 

How  to 

reached  through  the  feelings.     "There  must       Reach  a 
be  an  appeal  to  right  feeling  through  the         Child's 
will,  and  then  the  will  will  put  forth  right 
feeling  in  the  deed,  and  you  have  a  right  deed."     The 
will  is  reached  through  the  feelings  of  the  child,  and 


246  Up  Through  Childhood 

feeling  is  always  responsive  to  the  right  presentation  of 
truth.  This  furnishes  the  basis  for  our  instruction  in 
religious  things.  As  Dr.  White  puts  it:  "The  feel- 
ings solicit  the  will,  and  the  will  determines  conduct." 
Thought  is  motor,  and  knowledge  provokes  thought. 
Then,  with  a  habit  of  immediate  and  right  action  from 
right  thought,  we  may  expect  a  deed  in  harmony  with 
moral  law.  Our  modern  life  is  to  be  censured  for  the 
great  drain  it  makes  upon  emotion.  Every  time  we  hear 
a  fine  concert  or  an  eloquent  oration  or  a  strong  sermon, 
we  have  need  to  do  something  a  little  better  than  the 
things  we  are  accustomed  to  do.  It  is  well  to  train  for 
every  action,  but  it  is  highly  important  to  train  to  ac- 
tion. A  battalion  of  fine  impulses,  allowed  to  evapor- 
ate, works  for  harm  in  the  life  of  any  child.  We  have 
need  to  do  day  by  day  many  unpleasant  things,  and 
this  willingness  to  perform  cheerfully  the  things  we 
dislike,  results  in  such  an  attitude  of  mind  and  such  a 
temper  for  victory  that  the  will  can  bid  defiance  to  evil 
in  the  hour  of  temptation.  But  there  is  something 
more  than  a  making  of  choices.  Many  a  time  the 
making  of  a  choice  is  rendered  difficult  because  there  is 
so  much  involved  that  we  cannot  readily  decide  upon 
the  wisest  course  of  action.  When  one  has  made  a 
mistake  in  his  decision,  he  needs  to  have  the  grace  and 
the  nobleness  to  admit  it,  and  to  go  back  to  his  place 
willingly.  I^ife  cannot  always  be  governed  by  intelli- 
gence. At  a  thousand  turns  we  lay  aside  the  intellect 
and  come  to  our  decision  by  feeling  or  by  will.  We 


Training  the  Will  247 

have  need  to  think  out  carefully  the  minor  questions 
that  decide  the  major  question  and  pass  on  to  action  or 
to  a  new  question  for  choice. 

If  the  will  is  ever  to  be  a  large  force  in  character,  as 
we  have  a  right  to  expect,  it  must  be  trained  rather 
than  broken.  The  first  condition  in  training  Trained, 
the  will  is  good  example.  More  than  any  Not 

precepts,  more  even  than  the  compulsory  Broken, 
action,  the  constant  example  of  one  who  bears  a  mag- 
netic personality  will  determine  action,  and  voluntary 
action  is  rightly  to  be  regarded  as  the  manifestation  of 
will.  After  example  has  been  presented  and  all  right 
instruction  given,  there  is  nothing  that  can  be  of 
greater  value  than  the  constant  action  of  the  will.  The 
discipline  is  not  merely  of  the  judgment,  but  of  prac- 
tice, in  adopting  the  type  of  decision  characterised  by 
reasonableness,  and,  if  necessary,  even  that  type  which 
requires  effort.  A  little  gratuitous  exercise  of  the  will 
in  the  work  of  every  day  becomes  in  time  one  of  the 
richest  investments  for  character.  If  we  do  things — 
unpleasant  things — not  only  when  we  must,  but  fre- 
quently because  we  may,  the  habit  of  prompt  decision 
and  vigorous  action  will  in  time  be  established,  and 
there  will  be  no  hesitation  about  making  choices  be- 
cause they  may  impose  hardships.  The  making  of 
right  choices,  the  maintenance  of  noble  aims  and  stable 
desires,  will  go  far  toward  establishing  that  attitude  of 
mind  which  uniformly  results  in  right  decision. 

Elsewhere  we  have  discussed  the  subject  of  interest, 


248  Up  Through  Childhood 

and  with  full  recognition  of  the  warm  personal  char- 
acter of  that  power,  we  may  recognise  that 
Wilful- 
ness.  **  ls  one  °f  ^e  strongest  agents  in  holding 

before  the  mind  any  given  idea  until  that 
becomes  dominant  and  so  leads  to  action.  Stubborn- 
ness is  no  indication  of  a  right  will;  it  is  the  indication 
of  an  untrained  will,  and  probably  the  sign  of  a  will 
which  has  taken  its  present  form  from  frequent  nag- 
ging, which  is  one  of  the  worst  forms  by  which  men 
attempt  to  correct  evils. 

Uses  of  the  Will 

1.  To  provide  for  one's  own  development.     There 
never  was  a  time  when  there  were  so  many  conditions 

and  opportunities  favourable  to  self-develop- 
se  °  ment,  and  yet  there  probably  never  was  a 

time  when  human  interests  conflicted  more, 
and  when  the  forces  of  society  tended  more  strongly 
to  restrict  one's  development.  The  world  is  to  a  de- 
gree becoming  crowded;  new  lines  of  activity  are 
harder  to  find.  Each  young  man  who  has  to  make  his 
place  in  the  world  is  compelled  to  do  it  by  means  of 
edging  and  crowding  and  waiting  and  stepping  forward 
into  a  vacant  place  until  his  position  is  fully  assured. 

2.  To  preserve  one's  individuality.     Though  sur- 
rounded by  people  of  the  best  sense  and  the  most  fav- 
ourable disposition,  we  are  continually  narrowed  and 
restricted  and  induced  little  by  little  to  conform  to 
things  around  us.     The  opinions  of  others  restrict  the 


Training  the  Will  249 

free  play  of  our  thought.  Like  a  mountain  wind  that 
is  never  weary,  or  the  sea  that  dashes  forever  on  the 
shore,  the  wave  of  public  opinion  is  beating  upon  us 
and  tends  to  roll  in  and  submerge  our  individual  plans, 
purposes,  and  ideas.  It  takes  a  heroic  will  for  a  man 
to  keep  the  richest  and  best  that  is  in  him  and  rise 
above  the  commonplace.  To  live  a  life  with  a  purpose- 
ful edge,  trying  always  to  do  the  things  that  need  to  be 
done,  and  avoiding  the  things  that  ought  not  to  be 
done,  requires  a  diligence  which  never  sleeps  and  a 
will  that  reacts  like  tempered  steel. 

3.  To  sustain  one  in  the  hour  of  discouragement. 
All  success  must  be  conquered.  The  keener  the 
struggle,  the  more  difficult  victory  becomes.  In  the 
lone  hour,  when  the  spirit  has  to  believe  in  itself,  when 
it  is  striving  almost  hope  against  hope  for  one  supreme 
thing  to  be  done,  then  for  the  will  to  stand  fast,  even 
amid  continual  depression,  is  to  hold  high  faith  which 
will  ultimately  bring  success. 

Let  the  child  work  for  itself.  The  habit  of  depend- 
ing upon  itself  and  trying  new  conditions,  meeting 

emergencies,  and  deciding  questions  con- 

Traininjr 
tmually,  will  give  it  vigour  and  initiative.      the 


If  the  parent  can  reason  with  the  child  and 
help  him  to  discover  the  things  that  need  to  be  done, 
and  then  set  forth  the  reasons  for  and  against  a  given 
course  of  action,  the  child  is  quite  likely  to  decide  in 
the  right  way.  But  he  must  have  practice  in  making 
choices.  He  should  be  taught  to  plan  the  disposition 


2 50  Up  Through  Childhood 

of  his  own  time,  to  work  out  for  himseli  little  schemes 
for  enjoyment,  and  to  enter  upon  various  lines  of  ac- 
tivity with  which  he  will  remain  until  success  or  defeat 
is  assured.  L,et  him  experience  both  the  joys  of  success 
and  the  penalties  of  failure.  The  only  point  to  guard 
is  that  he  may  not  suffer  too  severely  for  failure  caused 
by  his  own  ignorance  or  mistakes. 

Ours  is  a  great  country.  We  have  a  government 
which  allows  a  wide  range  of  activities.  It  has  been 
said  that  in  European  countries  the  citizens 
and  Will  ^°  on^  ^e  tninSs  which  they  have  permis- 
sion to  do.  In  the  United  States  they  do 
everything  that  is  not  forbidden,  and  some  things  that 
are  forbidden.  If  the  best  and  highest  type  of  govern- 
ment is  to  obtain  among  us,  our  citizens  must  have  so 
much  personal  worth  and  such  independence  of  char- 
acter that  they  will  obey  law,  and  choose  only  the 
right. 

Business  life  affords  ample  scope  for  the  cultivation 
of  this  power.  In  these  days  of  keen  competition,  busi- 
ness success  is  often  the  result  of  unfailing 
and  Will  struggle-  Sometimes  it  is  less  a  matter  of 
resources  than  of  that  courage  of  spirit 
which  enables  one  in  a  difficult  contest  to  hold  out 
longest.  The  young  man  should  be  careful  in  the 
choice  of  his  business,  but  once  having  fairly  entered 
upon  his  work  he  should  toil  unceasingly,  until  it  has 
been  determined  that  his  work  is  a  full  success  or  a 
pitiable  failure. 


Training  the  Will  251 

The  student  of  history  is  frequently  struck  with  the 
tremendous  manifestation  of  will  in  leaders  of  great  re- 
ligions. The  will  of  the  hero  and  the  will  of  the  mar- 
tyr are  closely  akin,  but  the  will  of  the  martyr  will  abide 
to  death.  The  martyrs  are  not  those  alone 
who  die  at  the  stake  for  their  faith.  The  and 


city,  and  even  the  solitary  farm  districts 
have  not  a  few  martyrs  in  the  ranks  of  the  uncomplain- 
ing common  life.  Their  struggle  is  never  seen,  only 
God  and  their  own  hearts  know  its  bitterness;  yet 
they  fail  not.  The  reason  is  not  far  to  seek.  "  Re- 
ligion gives  the  soul  a  grasp  of  the  universal  and  im- 
mutable; it  feeds  the  will  on  Omnipotence;  when  such 
will  is  really  possessed  it  is  irresistible."  There  is 
high  need  for  just  such  will  to-day  in  the  upper  walks 
of  life.  Our  civilisation  gathers  tremendous  power 
into  one  human  hand,  and  places  tremendous  responsi- 
bility upon  a  single  human  mind.  Our  government 
mightily  sways  for  the  success  of  the  many  or  of  the 
few  with  the  passing  of  a  word  or  the  tossing  of  an 
opinion.  How  great  the  need  that  those  who  are  mas- 
ters may  also  know  how  to  obey,  and  that  those  who 
have  power  may  rule  delicately,  humbly,  wisely!  Well 
may  it  be  said  to  us,  as  to  a  nation  of  old:  "  And  what 
doth  the  lyord  require  of  thee,  but  to  do  justly,  and  to 
love  mercy,  and  to  walk  humbly  with  thy  God  ?  '  ' 


CHAPTER  XXI 

FEEUNG  AND  THE  INNER  UFE 

AFTER  good  health,  perhaps  right  feeling  more  than 
anything  else  contributes  to  real  happiness  in  life.  We 

have  given  much  attention  to  the  education 
Value  of 
Feeling        °^  ^e  intellect,  and  now  give  much  to  the 

education  of  the  body,  but  the  feelings,  as  a 
definite  field  of  educational  activity,  have  received  very 
little  attention.  Here  a  great  opportunity  offers  itself 
for  the  Sunday-school  teacher.  Feeling  is  to  man  what 
steam  is  to  the  engine,  electricity  to  the  electric  car, — 
it  is  the  motive  power  which  energises  him  for  the  ac- 
tivities of  life.  When  the  feeling  is  wholesome  and 
strong,  one  is  much  more  effective  in  life,  and  what  is 
called  a  full-blooded  man  or  woman  is  always  more 
effective  than  the  pale,  emaciated  person,  provided 
always  that  the  one  of  strong  feeling  is  fully  under  the 
control  of  a  disciplined  will. 

How  much  ambition  has  contributed  to  the  advance- 
Feeling  ment  of  the  world!  How  aspiration  tugs 
and  at  our  poor  common  life  to  lift  it  to  higher 

Progress.     ievelsj     How  cheerfulness  brightens  our  life 
and  gives  radiance  even  in  the  time  of  shadows!     How 

252 


Feeling  and  the  Inner  Life       253 

love  in  its  various  manifestations  has  given  courage, 
and  patience,  and  a  tireless  devotion  which  no  pen  nor 
language  can  fully  express!  How  the  riches  of  friend- 
ship have  beautified  and  ennobled  life! 

But  feeling  is  not  always  an  unmixed  good,  at  least 
devotion  to  it  may  be  carried  to  a  degree  which  be- 
tokens only  foolishness  and  not  sound  judg-  p  j. 
ment.  It  was  in  a  prayer  meeting  that  a  Not  an 
good  brother  arose  and  said,  "I  feel,  I  Unmixed 
feel!"  and  then,  overcome  by  his  emotion, 
he  said,  "  I  cannot  tell  how  I  do  feel,  but  oh!  I  feel!  I 
feel!!  I  feel!!!  "  It  is  this  senseless  raving  which  has 
brought  the  true  office  of  feeling  into  such  disrepute 
and  led  many  true  and  sensible  people  to  seek  the  other 
extreme.  The  excessive  development  of  feeling  leads 
to  a  wide  separation  between  profession  and  practice, 
and  is  hurtful  insomuch  as  it  covers  with  reproach 
the  very  claims  that  are  put  forward  in  the  name  of 
feeling  as  sacred  and  beyond  censure.  The  element 
of  feeling  plays  so  large  a  part  in  ordinary  human  life 
that  the  culture  of  the  feelings  cannot  safely  be 
neglected. 

The  cultivation  of  feeling  depends  upon  two  princi- 
ples: a  rational  understanding  of  its  basis;  and  upon 
right  exercise.  The  will  contributes  largely  The  culti- 
to  holding  in  the  mind  the  specific  idea  vation  of 
which  we  wish  to  make  dominant,  and  if  a  Feeling, 
high  ideal  can  be  placed  in  the  mind  of  the  child  and 
held  there  by  its  will,  aspiration  grows  and  an  abiding 


254  Up  Through  Childhood 

force  has  been  established  in  his  life.  By  this  process, 
cheerfulness,  courage,  or  kindness  may  be  made  a  habit. 
The  heart  is  not  only  an  organ  of  feeling,  but  it  is  an 
organ  of  thought  and  of  insight.  We  have  all  felt  the 
T*U  u  *  Quickening  of  the  mental  powers  under  the 

I  ne  riCcirt 

as  an  impulse  of   the   demands   from   friends  or 

Organ  of  the  need  we  recognise  to  serve  those  we 
deeply  love.  The  heart  instinctively  feels 
the  right  thing  to  do  in  a  given  crisis.  It  throws  light 
on  many  a  hidden  problem,  and  helps  the  intellect  to 
work  out  difficult  situations.  It  makes  for  wholesome 
relations  and  sane  opinions;  it  puts  emphasis  upon 
fundamental  things,  and  leads  us  back  to  reality  when 
we  have  gone  afar  to  follow  the  over-refinements  of  in- 
tellectual hair-splitting;  it  gives  us  that  well-rounded 
completeness  which  makes  our  view  of  a  subject  worthy 
of  confidence.  We  gain  from  the  heart  both  light  and 
heat,  and  in  the  warmth  of  feeling  we  find  a  new  vigour 
of  vision.  The  heart  deserves  to  be  cultivated  for  what 
it  makes  us  feel  and  not  less  for  what  it  makes  us 
see.  He  who  adds  to  a  strong  intellect  the  vigour  and 
inspiration  of  a  strong  heart,  both  sees  and  feels. 

Professor  Moulton  draws  a  striking  contrast  between 
the  man  of  the  inner  life,  and  the  man  of  the  outer  life. 
The  Inner  ^e  two  ^ves  mav  be  complete,  each  in  its 
and  the  own  field,  but  representing  radically  differ- 
Outer  Life.  ent  types  of  characten  He  uses  Macbeth  to 

illustrate  a  type  of  the  practical  man  who  is  a  master 
in  the  outer  life,  regarding  him  as  "  prepared  for  any 


Feeling  and  the  Inner  Life       255 

emergency  in  which  there  is  anything  to  be  done.  Yet 
a  mental  crisis  or  a  moral  problem  afflicts  him  with  a 
shock  of  an  unfamiliar  situation. ' '  We  all  have  known 
men  in  whom  the  outer  life  predominated — men  who 
lived  and  thought  in  the  world  of  sense — men  who 
would  recognise  no  values  except  those  which  can  be 
measured  in  money — men  whose  affections  were  like 
those  of  the  animal — men  everywhere  energetic,  force- 
ful, and  efficient  in  the  range  of  practical  life.  They 
kept  their  affairs  well  in  hand,  always  had  a  satisfac- 
tory bank  account  for  a  rainy  day,  and,  in  short,  were 
well  provided  for  in  the  present  life,  if  we  leave  out  the 
element  of  happiness.  We  also  have  known  men  in 
whom  the  inner  life  was  dominant  —  men  who  see 
spiritual  values  as  greater  than  the  values  in  the  things 
of  sense.  For  complete  living  the  outer  and  the  inner 
life  must  be  in  due  proportion.  The  outer  life  must  be 
nourished  and  supplied  with  all  those  things  which 
could  contribute  to  practical  comfort  and  wholesome 
existence.  But  there  is  a  spiritual  sense,  a  fine  insight, 
a  subtle  penetration,  a  deep  discernment,  which  recog- 
nises values,  which  experiences  realities,  which  assumes 
affairs  far  above  the  so-called  practical  realities.  And 
it  is  to  this  world  of  feeling  and  this  world  of  spiritual 
discernment  that  I  would  direct  your  earnest  thought 
and  desires.  Seek  for  your  students  that  power  of 
mind  that  will  enable  them  to  recognise  these  higher 
things.  I,et  them  appropriate  as  a  part  of  their  philoso- 
phy of  life  this  very  brief  but  all-inclusive  symphony: 


Up  Through  Childhood 

"  To  live  content  with  small  means;  to  seek  elegance 
rather  than  luxury,  and  refinement  rather  than  fashion; 
to  be  worthy,  not  respectable,  and  wealthy,  not  rich; 
to  listen  to  stars  and  birds,  babes  and  sages,  with  open 
heart;  to  study  hard;  to  think  quietly,  act  frankly,  talk 
gently,  await  occasions,  hurry  never;  in  a  word,  to 
let  the  spiritual,  unbidden  and  unconscious,  grow  up 
through  the  common, — this  is  my  symphony." — WM. 
HENRY  CHANNING. 

There  is  a  continual  war  going  on  between  the  inner 
and  outer,  and  the  one  who  deals  only  with  the  outer 
is  likely  to  lack  some  of  those  noble  things  which  make 
for  the  richest  life.  Some  years  ago,  I  was  speaking 
with  a  scientist  on  the  question  of  faith,  and  he  very 
frankly  said:  "  It  seems  to  me  that  a  man  of  scientific 
training,  if  he  limits  himself  to  that,  must  ever  lack  the 
mind  for  the  deepest  insight. ' '  Faith  is  not  of  things 
seen.  One  of  the  great  contributions  to  this  question 
of  the  inner  life  is  Trine' s  In  Tune  with  the  Infinite. 
He  there  reveals  some  of  the  sources  of  power  to  which 
no  son  or  daughter  of  the  living  God  may  not  have  free 
access,  and  indeed  only  as  man  in  his  highest  state 
opens  his  nature  for  the  inflow  of  the  divine  can  he  do 
his  greatest  work  in  the  world.  To  the  same  general 
purpose  is  much  of  Bishop  Spaulding's  Education  and 
the  Higher  Life.  So  write  Catholic  and  Protestant, 
poet  and  philosopher,  thinker  and  mystic,  if  they  have 
ever  seen  the  inner  vision. 

John  Amos  Comenius,  great  as  a  Moravian  bishop 


Feeling  and  the  Inner  Life       257 

and  educator,  bears  like  testimony  to  aspiration  as  the 
source  of  his  faith:  "  I  thank  God  that  I  have  all  my 
life  been  a  man  of  aspirations  .  .  .  for  the  longing 
after  good,  however  it  springs  up  in  the  heart,  is  al- 
ways a  rich  flowing  from  the  fountain  of  all  good,  from 
God." 

But  it  is  not  alone  the  inner  life,  there  is  an  outer  and 
a  practical  one.  We  live  in  a  real  world,  with  bread- 
and-butter  demands  upon  us  every  day.  We  can  make 
our  loved  ones  happy  only  when  we  first  contribute  to 
their  physical  needs  and  afford  them  leisure  for  the  high 
and  spiritual  needs.  He  who  wrought  most  wisely  for 
his  fellow-men  was  described  as  one  who  went  about 
doing  good.  To  hold  the  balance  between  the  inner 
and  the  outer  life,  to  have  the  fine  vision  and  the  noble 
interest,  is  to  have  the  practical  talent  and  the  ready 
application  to  fit  that  to  the  best  service. 

When  the  young  man  recognises  the  large  part  which 
ideals  play  in  character  forming,  and  as  he  comes  to 
know  by  experience  not  only  the  value  of  piace  Of 
these  ideals  but  the  process  by  which  they  Ideals  in 
come  to  be  achievable,  he  sees  more  and  Character- 
more  of  the  body  and  strength  of  the  work  which 
imagination  performs  in  the  realm  of  character.  I^et  a 
great  ideal  come  into  a  boy's  mind  in  whatever  humble 
form,  and  as  it  grows  until  it  takes  hold  upon  the  life, 
he  finds  at  last  that  he  has  been  transformed,  and  never 
can  be  quite  the  same  after  as  before  this  great  ex- 
perience. Alas!  with  all  its  beauty  and  strength,  the 
17 


258  Up  Through  Childhood 

imagination,  by  the  very  law  of  its  nature,  can  also 
bring  him  sorrow  and  pain  and  death.  One  who  has 
plunged  into  sin  and  whose  heart  or  conscience  has 
been  seared  by  its  deadly  influence  may  do  very  high 
and  noble  things,  but  he  can  never  be  the  same  again. 
The  little  poem  by  Hezekiah  Butterworth  is  as  true  to 
the  spirit  of  philosophy  as  to  the  spirit  of  poetry. 

The  Bird  with  a  Broken  Wing 

I  walked  through  the  woodland  meadows, 

Where  sweet  the  rushes  sing, 
And  found  on  a  bed  of  mosses 

A  bird  with  a  broken  wing. 
I  healed  its  wound,  and  each  morning 

It  sang  its  old,  sweet  strain  ; 
But  the  bird  with  a  broken  pinion 

Never  soared  so  high  again. 

I  found  a  young  life  broken, 

By  sin's  seductive  art ; 
And,  touched  with  a  Christian  pity, 

I  took  him  to  my  heart. 
He  lived  with  a  noble  purpose, 

And  struggled  not  in  vain  ; 
But  the  life  that  sin  had  stricken 

Never  soared  as  high  again. 

But  the  bird  with  a  broken  pinion, 

Kept  another  from  the  snare  ; 
And  the  life  that  sin  had  stricken 

Raised  another  from  despair. 
Each  loss  has  its  compensation, 

There  is  healing  for  every  pain  ; 
But  the  bird  with  a  broken  pinion 

Never  soars  as  high  again. 


Feeling  and  the  Inner  Life       259 

For  the  far  reach  of  the  intellect  and  the  high  reach 
of  the  spirit,  there  is  no  type  equal  to  the  type  set  forth 

by  the  sinless  Jesus;  and  to  him  who  would 

The  Great 
attain  the  best  things,  there  is  no  way  of  ex-  Ideal 

cellence  except  the  supreme  way  of  seeking 
only  what  is  to  abide  forever,  resolutely  excluding  all 
that  can  hurt  or  hinder.  There  is  so  much  in  the  grind 
of  daily  life  which  tends  to  narrow  or  restrict  our  out- 
look, that  I  am  glad  now  and  then  to  turn  my  mind  to 
the  greater  and  truer  things.  I  gaze  upon  the  stars 
and  the  great  suns  that  make  but  a  misty  light  in  the 
far  heavens;  I  know  the  value  of  astronomy  as  a  disci- 
pline for  the  imagination,  dealing,  as  it  does,  with  im- 
mensity in  space,  and  as  day  slips  away  to  day,  and 
year  to  year,  I  have  some  dim  recognition  of  the 
boundlessness  of  space.  I  turn  to  geology,  and  read  of 
the  ages  gone,  of  the  work  wrought,  and  then  I  wait  in 
awe  and  reverence  with  the  thought  that  time  is  long, 
and  that  the  eternal  God  has  been  building  from  the 
beginning;  and  as  I  see  the  footprints  of  the  creatures 
and  recognise  the  infinite  years  by  which  bodies  have 
been  finished  and  minds  formed,  I  cry  out  with  the  old 
German  philosopher,  "  O  God!  I  think  thy  thoughts 
after  thee." 


CHAPTER  XXII 

TRAINING  A  CHILD'S  FAITH 

I  WONDER  whether  we  fully  realise  the  large  place  of 
faith  in  our  hard  practical  business  world.  Small  as  is 
the  place  we  are  disposed  to  allow  for  it,  it  is  really  one 
of  the  large  factors  in  every  department  of  life.  Our 
civilisation  would  fall  in  a  day  if  it  were  not  for  the 
faith  which  man  has  in  his  fellow.  The  New  York 
Clearing  House  handles  values  daily  which  reach  to 
the  millions,  but  because  of  this  faith  in  men  it  is  able 
successfully  to  handle  these  large  sums  with  only  a  few 
hundred  thousand  dollars  in  cash;  the  remainder  is 
represented  by  commercial  paper,  which  really  depends 
upon  the  faith  of  a  man  in  his  brother. 

The  faith  of  every  man  in  his  kind  and  even  his  faith 
in  God  rests  upon  the  few.  Silas  Marner  was  deceived 
Faith  kv  William  Dane,  his  friend,  and  by  Sarah 

Rests  on  his  sweetheart,  and  his  faith  in  man  and 
the  Few.  God  was  aashe(j  to  pieces.  Think,  my 

reader,  if  two  or  three,  or  at  most  half  a  dozen,  of  your 
tried  friends  should  prove  false,  this  world  would  be 
covered  with  a  pall  as  black  as  midnight!  A  recogni- 
tion of  this  truth  will  lead  every  man  to  a  new  effort 

260 


Training  a  Child's  Faith          261 

for  sincerity.  Since  our  faith  rests  in  the  few,  you  and 
I  must  be  sincere,  in  order  that  those  who  depend  upon 
us  may  not  find  their  faith  made  false.  Faith  gives 
encouragement  to  human  life.  It  makes  things  seem 
worthy  of  doing,  and  adds  to  all  experience  a  zest 
which  even  time  cannot  pall. 

If  a  child  is  to  have  strong  faith  in  truth  and  man 
and  God,  he  must  be  guarded  from  rude  shocks,  he 

must  be  taught  to  know  the  right  things, 

Guard  the 
and   yet   he   must   realise   that   there   are          Child. 

wrong  ones  in  the  world.  His  confidence  in 
his  fellow  men  may  be  lost  or  fixed  by  his  faith  in  his 
parents,  in  his  teacher,  or  in  a  few  intimate  friends. 
There  is  no  sadness  for  the  weary  heart  like  the  sad- 
ness of  disappointed  friendship,  and  the  feeling  of  trust 
betrayed.  Happy  indeed  is  that  one  who,  like  Brutus, 
can  testify  that  all  friends  have  been  true  to  him.  It 
is  a  supreme  joy  so  to  choose  one's  friends  that  they 
may  be  faithful  always. 

Faith  in  the  father  and  in  the  mother  is  the  natural 
outgrowth  of  the  child's  relationship  in  the  Christian 
home.  When  carefully  guarded  here  and  Faith 

allowed  to  strengthen  with  his  strength,  his         Moves 

faith  steadily  grows  finer  and  truer;  and  it  _ 

Lower  to  a 

is  the  most  natural  thing  in  the  world  that         Higher 
his  faith  should  be  lifted  from  the  plane  of         Plane, 
earthly  hope  and  happiness  to  the  heavenly  Father 
and  the  heavenly  home. 
The  faith  of  the  child  differs  greatly  from  that  of  the 


262  Up  Through  Childhood 

adult.  It  is  less  supported,  and  is  often  founded  on 
The  Faith  simple  testimony.  There  is  an  instinctive 
of  a  Child  faifa  that  belongs  to  happy  childhood.  This 
Faith  of  faith  may  be  shattered  by  a  treacherous 
an  Adult,  friend,  by  a  vicious  parent,  or  by  a  hypo- 
critical teacher.  It  is  a  part  of  our  business  to  guard 
the  child  from  treacherous  friends.  Every  child  ought 
to  know  that  there  is  evil  in  the  world,  and  ought  to  be 
brought  up  with  so  much  strength  and  so  much  discre- 
tion as  to  guard  himself  against  it.  It  is  a  sad  com- 
mentary on  our  system  of  human  life  that  with  the 
passing  years  men  grow  more  and  more  distrustful, 
and  in  too  many  cases  their  life  narrows  to  the  point  of 
selfishness. 

There  are  whole  regions  of  fine,  true  life,  which  may 
almost  be  called  zones  of  brotherliness,  where  human 
Zones  of  kindness  and  brotherly  interest  manifest 
Brotherli-  themselves  toward  all  worthy  comers.  This 

ss*  is  particularly  true  of  some  of  the  smaller 

colleges  in  the  Middle  West.  The  life  is  simple  and 
strong,  and  the  elements  are  mixed  in  such  fashion  as 
to  provide  for  the  unfolding  of  the  highest  and  best  in 
human  nature.  Rich  and  profitable  as  is  the  develop- 
ment to  be  found  in  such  a  community,  the  child  has 
in  this  cold,  hard  world  need  for  self-protection,  and 
must  be  taught  not  only  the  importance  of  such  protec- 
tion, but  must  be  given  such  strength  and  judgment  as 
to  secure  protection.  It  is  well  never  to  give  one's  self 
completely,  except  when  he  is  sure  of  the  receiver. 


Training  a  Child's  Faith          263 

But  the  promiscuous  giving  of  one's  deeper  interest  and 
finer  elements  is  to  cast  the  pearls  and  find  that  they 
have  fallen  before  swine. 

Knowledge  is  the  condition  of  faith,  and  without  that 
basis  for  our  confidence,  our  faith  in  man  or  things  will 

not  long  remain.     True  it  is  that  Paul  calls 

Knowledge 
faith  the  substance  of  things  hoped  for.    But    and 


the  very  derivation  of  the  word  makes  for 
the  point  I  wish  to  establish.     The  substance  is  that 
which  stands  under  or  supports,  and  that  must  begin 
in  knowledge,  assumed  or  real.     From  faith  in  the 
human  comes  faith  in  the  divine. 

The  element  of  wonder  is  deeply  planted  in  human 
nature.  Everywhere  it  manifests  itself.  The  form  of 
manifestation  is  determined  by  the  amount  The 

of  culture  the  individual  possesses.  The  Element 
savage  wonders  at  things  that  he  but  half  of  Wonder- 
understands.  He  marvels  at  a  looking-glass,  yet  is  not 
surprised  at  a  steam-engine.  There  is  a  wonder  in 
childhood  just  as  there  is  a  wonder  in  the  childhood  of 
every  race.  It  is  a  high  form  of  curiosity  which  incites 
the  child  to  explorations  in  many  regions.  Here  are 
found  incentives  to  great  ideals,  to  noble  conduct,  and 
to  the  whole  range  of  worthy  efforts  in  keeping  with  a 
strenuous  life.  And  in  this  spirit  of  marvellousness  is 
found  the  fruitful  field  for  all  kinds  of  delusion  and 
superstition.  Through  many  of  these  it  is  natural  for 
the  child  to  pass.  He  repeats  only  in  part  the  experi- 
ences of  the  race,  and  is  likely  to  come  through  many 


264  Up  Through  Childhood 

of  them  without  harm  and  with  added  power  and  sym- 
pathy. But  by  all  means  he  should  be  encouraged  in 
the  adoption  of  a  sane  outlook  on  the  world  and  its 
wonders.  He  should  examine  things  patiently,  care- 
fully, and  earnestly,  and  bring  each  to  the  test  of  fact. 
But  woe  to  the  man  who  would  rob  childhood  of  its 
joys  and  dreams,  who  would  take  away  the  beauty  and 
softness  of  cloudland,  and  leave  him  nothing  but  the 
cold  hard  light  of  common  day!  Better  that  the  child 
should  cherish  a  thousand  harmless  delusions,  than 
that  his  nature  should  be  cold,  hard,  distrustful,  and 
cynical.  You  may  train  him  in  carefulness,  accuracy, 
and  common-sense,  but  you  must  not  rob  him  of  the 
wealth  of  the  world,  and  bring  upon  him  a  withering 
atmosphere  which  is  the  beginning  of  the  second  death. 
We  have  seen  that  faith  is  fine  and  high,  and  that  it 
appeals  to  the  very  best  in  human  nature,  that,  guarded 

by  the  laws  of  common-sense  and  by  the  in- 
Summary. 

junctions  of  a  wise  teacher,  the  nature  of  the 
child  may  be  made  rich  and  responsive  to  all  good 
things,  and  there  will  be  belief  and  aspiration  and  even 
knowledge  otherwise  impossible.  We  have  seen  that 
faith  rests  largely  in  the  human,  and  that  the  child 
must  be  guarded  from  treacherous  friends.  It  should 
be  the  supreme  effort  of  the  individual  to  carry  a  fine 
high  faith  with  the  joy  and  hope  of  youth  far  into  the 
dust  and  toil  of  our  striving  daily  life. 

For  well  she  kept  her  genial  mood 
And  simple  faith  of  maidenhood ; 


Training  a  Child's  Faith         265 

Before  her  still  a  cloud-land  lay, 
The  mirage  loomed  across  her  way, 
The  morning  dew  that  dries  so  soon 
With  others,  glistened  at  her  noon  ; 
Through  years  of  toil  and  soil  and  care, 
From  glossy  tress  to  thin  grey  hair, 
All  unprofaned  she  held  apart, 
The  virgin  fancies  of  the  heart. 

WHITTIER'S  Snow-Bound. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

FROM   BOYHOOD   TO   MANHOOD 

THK  purpose  of  this  chapter  is  to  bring  the  boy  a 
little  nearer  to  our  lives.  In  not  a  few  cases,  the  boy, 
coming  in  and  out  day  after  day,  is  practically  a 
stranger  to  the  father  or  mother,  or  both,  particularly 
after  the  age  of  twelve.  Now  there  is  no  greater  work 
than  to  train  a  generation  so  wisely  that  the  world  may 
be  carried  forward  in  its  life.  The  boys  must  make  the 
advancement,  they  are  the  born  leaders,  they  make  or 
adj  ust  the  economic  conditions.  Truth,  j  ustice,  honour, 
purity,  and  nobleness  in  them  will  soon  find  place  in 
society  and  government.  Help  them  to  a  higher  life 
and  you  move  the  world  a  little  toward  righteousness. 
To  help  them,  you  must  know  and  love  them.  To 
know  them,  you  must  meet  them  on  their  own  plane; 
they  would  go  to  yours,  but  cannot. 

All  approach  on  the  part  of  the  older  person  must  be 

made  brightly,  cheerily,  and  sincerely.     ' '  Let  there  be 

even  in  the  institution  of  higher  spiritual 

The  Play     a«m^  nQt  Qn^  ^e  pjay  met|1O(jj  kuj-  ^e  play 

Spirit* 

spirit;  otherwise  the  child  must  feel:  '  Oh, 

that  tiresome  grown-up  person  with  a  mission!     Does 
he  not  know  that  I  live  in  a  world  of  play  ?    Why  will 

266 


From  Boyhood  to  Manhood       267 

he  drag  me  into  his  world  of  work,  instead  of  coming 
into  mine  ? '  "  The  play  life  is  full  of  inspiration  to  the 
boy,  and  gives  him  thoughts  and  outlook  which  with- 
out it  are  impossible.  He  gets  an  exercise  and  a  prac- 
tice in  doing  things  that  are  worth  while.  They  are 
deeply  worth  while,  for  they  are  the  beginnings  which 
make  him  so  much  more  the  man.  Only  here  and 
there  is  the  play  life  coming  to  be  regarded  as  the 
birthright  of  the  growing  child,  an  element  which  can- 
not be  taken  away  without  actual  loss. 

The  boy  himself  would  not  claim  to  have  a  religion, 
and  a  majority  of  grown  people  will  not  grant  that  he 
has.  And  yet  it  is  very  well  established  His 

that  the  boy  has  certain  governing  principles  Religious 
for  his  moral  life;  he  may  not  be  able  to  Life- 

state  them,  but  he  generally  stands  pretty  true  to  what 
he  believes.  Somewhat  unlike  the  adult,  the  boy  is 
likely  to  keep  very  close  relation  between  his  conduct 
and  his  actual  belief.  It  is  no  unusual  thing  for  a  child 
to  answer  questions  and  carry  on  a  conversation  in  a 
fashion  to  please  his  elders,  but  when  you  get  to  the 
real  child  you  will  find  that  his  belief  and  his  practice 
are  in  rather  close  accord. 

The  fundamental  consideration  in  all  plans  for  re- 
ligious work  is  this:  the  boy's  life  consists  in  action. 
He  has  not  learned  to  be  thoughtful.  It  is  An  impuise 
an  impulse,  then  a  deed.  He  is  ignorant,  Then  a 
and  ignorant  chiefly  because  of  inexperi-  Deed, 

ence.  He  is  in  part  a  savage,  and  this  savage  element 


268          Up  Through  Childhood 

in  his  nature  demands  action.  Any  religious  training 
which  does  not  take  into  account  some  of  the  funda- 
mental characteristics  of  a  boy's  religion  will  fail  to 
get  good  results.  Action,  then,  is  the  governing  prin- 
ciple of  his  nature.  Honesty  is  a  fundamental  char- 
acteristic, and  his  honesty  is,  in  view  of  his  limited 
knowledge,  just  as  true  and  just  as  thorough  as  that  of 
the  grown  man.  He  believes  with  all  his  heart  that 
goodness  does  count,  and  when  he  thinks  of  the  effort 
in  his  life,  he  feels  that  somehow  it  ought  to  secure  for 
him  a  certain  amount  of  favourable  consideration.  He 
scorns  stinginess,  but,  very  often,  unknown  to  himself, 
he  is  both  selfish  and  lazy.  He  believes  in  fairness  and 
in  fair  people.  The  boy  nature  responds  readily  to 
truth,  and  he  is  brought  up  to  be  truthful  just  as  a  girl 
is  brought  up  to  be  virtuous.  The  boy  has  great  faith 
in  right  feeling,  and  if  he  had  the  experience  of  riper 
years,  his  heart  would  echo  just  as  sincerely  as  yours 
or  mine,  those  stirring  words  of  Faber : 

Right  is  right  as  God  is  God, 

And  right  the  day  shall  win  ; 
To  doubt  would  be  disloyalty, 

To  falter  would  be  sin. 

The  disposition  to  truthfulness  is,  in  a  strong  boy, 

one  of  his  most  attractive  traits,  and  the  courage  with 

which  he  comes  up  to  meet  reproof  chal- 

Truthful-  iengres  our  admiration.  I  think  that  it  may 
ness. 

be  stated  as  a  general  truth,  that  a  strong 

child,  boy  or  girl,  is  likely  to  be  truthful,  and,  in  the 


From  Boyhood  to  Manhood       269 

case  of  the  boy  in  particular,  I  am  thoroughly  con- 
vinced that  he  must  be  taught  to  lie.  Now  there  is  a 
type  of  the  imaginative  boy  who  to  many  minds  is  a 
born  deceiver,  —  but  no.  Groups  of  pictures  come 
thronging  to  his  mind,  and  in  his  early  years  he  does 
not  know  how  to  describe  them.  These  he  tells  in 
language  which  to  us  seems  untrue.  A  little  child  who 
was  standing  by  a  window  said,  "  O  Ma!  I  see  a  pig 
coming  down  the  road  with  a  bonnet  on."  Some 
mothers  would  have  called  that  lying,  but  his  mother 
was  wise  and  only  said,  "I  will  tell  you  a  better  way  to 
say  that."  She  knew  that  he  was  giving  expression, 
in  the  most  natural  and  direct  way,  to  an  image  that 
had  taken  shape  in  his  mind.  Cases  of  this  kind  must 
be  cared  for  with  patience  and  consideration,  and  with 
a  full  recognition  that  there  is  no  intentional  meanness 
at  the  bottom  of  such  statements. 

There  are  many  people  who  think  that  a  boy  has  but 
little    feeling,   but    it   really  constitutes  a 


A 

pretty  large  share  of  what  he  would  regard 

r  eelings. 

as  his  religion,  if  his  attitude  on  the  subject 
should  be  analysed. 

There  comes  to  him,  in  times  of  keen  disappoint- 
ment or  sorrow,  a  kind  of  grief  which  he  deems  holy. 
It  is  holy,  for  it  gives  him  aspiration  for  _  . 

better  things,  and  leads  him  to  feel  a  near-         Seems 
ness  to  the  suffering  world.     Then  there  is        to  Him 
the  feeling  of  friendship  which  he  has  for 
his  chum,  and  the  love  which  he  has  for  father,  mother, 


270  Up  Through  Childhood 

and  sister.  Last,  but  not  least,  it  must  be  recognised 
that  a  boy  lives  by  ideals,  and  that  these  are  held  before 
him  in  a  great  and  strong  and  helpful  way,  and  that 
they  modify  his  life.  With  him,  character  is  best 
formed  from  living  examples,  and  the  instruction  is 
given  in  deeds.  He  is  led  to  the  thought  and  love  of 
higher  things  by  cherishing  the  ideal  which  rises  to  a 
higher  meaning  as  he  advances  toward  its  realisation. 
Dickens's  story  of  The  Child  and  the  Star  has  found 
a  realisation  in  the  life  of  many  a  boy  who,  looking  up 
the  shining  pathway  to  his  friends  who  have  gone  be- 
fore, is  led  at  last  to  the  home  of  rest. 

What  has  been  said  so  far  applies  chiefly,  though  not 

entirely,  to  boys  under  twelve  or  fourteen  years  of  age. 

At  about  this  time  a  great  change  comes 

ysica       Qver  ^  can(jiciate  for  manhood.     It  often 
Changes. 

advances     gradually     and    sometimes    for 

months  without  being  noted  by  other  members  of  the 
family;  but  it  is  going  on.  The  years  from  thirteen 
to  twenty-one  may  be  divided  into  two  periods,  an 
earlier  and  a  later  period.  The  whole  period  covers 
the  time  of  the  general  change  from  conditions  of 
boyhood  to  those  of  manhood.  There  is  often  a  time 
of  rapid  growth,  when  it  seems  that  all  the  boy's 
strength  and  energy  are  spent  in  simply  making  more 
body.  There  is  not  the  usual  physical  vigour;  he 
frequently  does  not  do  so  well  in  his  studies,  and  the 
common  phrase  is  '  *  He  is  growing  too  fast  to  do  any- 
thing else."  In  the  later  years,  this  material,  which 


From  Boyhood  to  Manhood       271 

has  been  so  rapidly  accumulating,  is  elaborated  and 
adjusted  for  the  perfection  of  a  well-formed  body. 
And  there  is  need.  For  the  muscles  grow  so  rapidly 
that  the  bones  are  not  rigidly  held  to  their  places,  and 
the  joints  are  loose.  He  does  not  know  where  to  put 
his  hands  or  his  feet,  and  is  continually  conscious  of 
too  much  body  for  him  to  manage  with  ease;  he  is  not 
used  to  it.  He  feels  like  the  driver  of  a  team  of  eight 
horses  who  has  been  accustomed  to  the  reins  for  only 
two.  Good  training  and  time  will  right  this  difficulty, 
and  whatever  the  amount  of  growth,  he  will  be  able  to 
guide  himself  and  make  the  goal  with  grace  and 
strength. 

In  the  earlier  part  of  this  period,  he  is  usually  re- 
served.    Before,  he  has  been  free  in  the  household,  and 

played  with  his  sisters  or  teased  them  to  his 

Mental 
heart's  content;  now,  he  wants  to  get  away     changes. 

from  the  girls;  he  likes  to  be  by  himself,  or 
with  other  boys.  The  gang  instinct  predominates,  and 
it  is  one  of  Nature's  ways  of  preserving  him  from  the 
play  of  other  forces  in  order  that  she  may  make  him 
more  completely  and  strongly  man.  It  is  at  this  time 
that  the  good  aunt  or  elderly  cousin  is  grieved  and  out- 
raged that  this  growing  boy,  that  she  has  called  a  child, 
no  longer  welcomes  her  caresses.  He  does  not  like  to 
be  kissed,  he  does  not  like  to  be  petted,  he  wants  to  be 
free.  He  is  beginning  to  be  a  man,  and  like  one  whose 
social  standing  is  not  assured,  he  is  the  more  particu- 
lar on  that  account,  not  by  design,  but  instinctively. 


272  Up  Through  Childhood 

Nature,  the  kind  old  nurse,  is  working  out  for  him  a 
new  relationship  to  all  the  world,  and  to  the  female  part 
of  it  in  particular.  L,et  no  parent  feel  special  concern. 
When  the  boy  has  sufficiently  ripened,  and  his  mind 
and  thought  and  life  are  ready  for  free  and  open  inter- 
course in  society,  he  will  gratefully  receive  counsel, 
and  welcome  the  invitation  to  a  more  active  social 
life. 

In  the  days  of  early  childhood,  and  even  later,  boys 
and  girls  are  pagan  rather  than  Christian  in  their  in- 
stincts; not  that  they  are  wicked,  but  they 

Changes  arc  tau^ht  to  ^°  many  things  and  to  say 
many  things  which,  though  Christian  in 
form  have  little  meaning  to  them.  The  deep,  spiritual 
instinct  does  not  find  its  full  play  until  in  the  teens. 
About  fifteen  or  sixteen,  the  youth  begins  to  feel  strong 
religious  instincts  and  desires.  He  has  in  part  broken 
with  the  past,  but- he  goes  out  to  conquer  a  new  world 
and  to  comprehend  and  include  new  things  in  his 
equipment.  This  is  a  time  of  great  hungers.  The 
youth  is  not  prepared  to  give  out  ideas,  but  to  absorb 
and  to  gain  is  the  mind's  desire,  and  so  ready  are  its 
powers  that  they  will  absorb  much  though  they  can 
express  little.  Of  religious  things,  this  is  likewise 
true.  There  is  a  great  turning  of  the  mind  toward 
that  Power  which  is  above  him,  and  blindly  or  know- 
ingly he  will,  with  half  an  opportunity,  declare  himself 
for  a  spiritual  life.  This  is  the  great  age  of  conversion . 
It  is  significant  that  those  churches  which  emphasise 


From  Boyhood  to  Manhood       273 

the  religious  life  of  youth  by  confirmation  administer 
that  rite  when  the  child  is  fourteen  years  old  or  later; 
and  likewise  it  is  an  important  proof  of  the  stage  of 
the  child's  religious  development  that  at  the  age  of 
fifteen  or  sixteen  by  far  the  larger  number  of  conver- 
sions occur.  A  little  later  there  sweeps  in  the  altruis- 
tic element,  and  the  youth  begins  to  recognise  his 
obligation  of  service  to  his  fellows.  He  no  longer 
draws  aside  but  seeks  opportunity  for  companionship 
and  service.  A  new  and  holy  influence  comes  to  him, 
and  he  begins  to  think  of  choosing  a  life  career.  In 
the  earlier  days  this  choice  is  usually  greatlynnfluenced 
by  the  opportunity  which  any  given  pursuit  will  afford 
for  service  to  his  kind  and  for  recognition  of  his  worth 
among  men.  This  is  his  time  for  stamping  his  richest 
and  best  power  upon  those  with  whom  he  comes  in  con- 
tact. He  has  no  wealth  too  precious  and  no  thought 
too  high  to  share  with  those  who  really  invite  his  con- 
fidence. This  is  a  time  of  supreme  self-assertion,  not 
always  or  even  often  rudely,  but  with  a  feeling  of  un- 
tried power  which  always  assumes  that  it  is  able  to  ac- 
complish more  than  the  endowment  will  warrant.  This 
is  the  great  time  of  imagination;  and  every  dream  is 
tinged  with  gold.  Other  men  have  met  difficulty, 
other  men*  have  found  defeat;  his  path  shall  be  a 
clear  one,  and  the  end,  success.  He  begins  to  know 
his  power,  but  it  will  be  long  ere  he  learns  its 
limitations. 

Now   let   me  emphasise    some    points   where  our 

18 


2 74  Up  Through  Childhood 

religious  teaching  and  practice  fail  to  connect  with  the 
boy's  life.  The  traditional  idea  of  goodness  is  negative. 
"Thou  shalt  not"  is  written,  not  alone 
in  the  Ten  Commandments,  but  in  a  thou- 
sand commandments,  and  he  is  praised  as  good  when 
he  simply  does  nothing.  You  say  to  the  child,  "  Do 
not,"  and  his  whole  nature  says,  "  Do."  Every  nerve 
and  muscle  within  him  calls  for  action,  and  yet  you 
say,  "  Sit  still  and  be  good  ";  but  action  is  the  law  of 
life.  To  him  religion  means  a  long  face  and  a  quiet 
manner;  it  means  dignity  of  behaviour.  People  insist 
upon  the  boy's  adopting  the  religion  of  the  grown  man. 
Too  often  religion  seems  to  him  cold  and  repulsive,  not 
because  it  is  cold  and  repulsive,  but  because  it  is 
clothed  in  a  cold  and  repulsive  form,  and  in  words 
which  he  does  not  understand  and  which  take  no 
more  hold  on  him  than  if  spoken  in  an  unknown 
tongue.  But  ah!  how  his  heart  warms  to  a  loving 
Father  who  will  "give  a  fellow  a  chance,"  who  ap- 
proves honour,  truth,  and  honesty  in  action,  and  who 
is  glad  when  his  children  are  active  and  happy.  It  is 
true  that  a  boy  does  not  understand  religion  as  it  is  so 
often  presented,  but  it  is  also  true  that  the  boy  himself 
is  not  understood.  He  has  many  a  period  of  quiet 
thought  and  many  a  longing  for  a  noble  life.  How  his 
heart  yearns  for  a  sympathetic  friend,  and  when  he 
finds  one  who  can  understand  and  appreciate  him,  his 
whole  nature  warms  to  such  a  friendship,  and  he  is 
ready  to  seal  his  devotion  with  his  life  if  need  be!  A 


From  Boyhood  to  Manhood       275 

boy  then  is  simply  untamed,  thoughtless,  not  with 
the  ignorance  of  viciousness,  but  with  the  ignorance  of 
inexperience.  His  greatest  need  is  a  judicious,  ap- 
preciative, sympathetic  friend  who  is  a  little  farther 
along  on  life's  pathway. 

The  period  of  adolescence  is  a  time  of  budding  in- 
terests. A  thousand  new  instincts  and  tendencies  show 
themselves,  and  if  encouraged,  grow  to  strength;  neg- 
lected, they  shrink  away  and  disappear.  In  this  age 
should  be  found  rich  opportunity  for  the  development 
of  the  religious  life.  The  highest  instincts  of  love, 
faith,  and  service  should  be  met  with  a  cordial  hand, 
and  surrounded  with  a  spirit  of  warmth  and  encourage- 
ment which  will  produce  true,  strong,  and  steady 
growth.  High  moral  standards  should  be  set;  strong 
and  true  demands  made  without  question.  The  youth 
should  recognise  the  importance  of  a  complete  sur- 
render to  righteousness;  he  should  be  taught  the  op- 
portunity of  high,  wholesome,  and  difficult  service, 
lyife  now  takes  on  a  new  meaning;  now  to  him  comes 
a  supreme  purpose,  and  all  the  forces  of  his  life  are 
turned  to  that  which  is  worth  his  effort.  Young  men 
of  this  age  do  not  ask  for  easy  things  to  do;  they  are 
willing  to  attempt  the  difficult,  they  want  the  strenuous 
life.  The  knightly  spirit  is  there,  if  it  be  evoked;  and 
the  yearning  of  the  king  and  conqueror  may  be  called 
to  bring  in  the  triumph  of  the  highest  and  best  in  the 
unfolding  and  masterful  life  of  the  youth.  His  vic- 
tories are  to  be  tinged  with  a  light  that  is  not  of  this 


276  Up  Through  Childhood 

world,  and  his  rewards  are  no  longer  cheap  or  petty, 
but  mighty,  majestic,  and  eternal.  In  this  age  he  may 
gain  the  far  vision  and  recognise  such  a  pattern  of  man 
as  the  grim  ages  have  set  for  heroes  from  the  morning 
of  the  world. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

FROM   GIRLHOOD  TO  WOMANHOOD 

IN  the  early  years  of  childhood  there  is  little  differ- 
ence in  the  life  of  the  girl  and  the  boy.  The  boy  likes 
to  play  with  dolls,  is  interested  in  many  of  the  sports 
and  plans  and  purposes  of  the  girl's  play -life.  For  the 
most  part,  the  play-life  of  early  childhood  is  in  no 
sense  strongly  marked  by  peculiarities  which  separate 
the  sexes.  The  girl  likes  the  free  outdoor  life,  and  will 
go  with  her  little  brother  into  the  many  childish  sports 
with  all  the  zest  and  pleasure  of  the  best  play-fellow 
that  he  can  find.  Many  a  girl  is  endowed  with  abun- 
dant energy,  and  must  have  room  for  its  manifestation. 
This  leads  to  the  life  of  the  torn -boy,  which  receives  so 
much  censure  from  people  who  think  they  are  proper, 
and  have  little  practical  acquaintance  with  the  desires 
and  instincts  of  childhood.  The  command  is:  "  Now, 
sit  still  and  look  pretty  and  be  mamma's  little  lady." 
To  be  "  mamma's  little  lady,"  while  every  nerve  and 
muscle  is  crying  out  for  action!  To  be  "mamma's 
little  lady  "  is  to  be  a  caricature  of  the  real  child,  and 
bound  with  cords  which  will  prevent  the  development 
of  that  wholesome  and  strong  nature  which  the  growing 

277 


278  Up  Through  Childhood 

girl  should  have.  The  mental  agony  and  the  dis- 
comfort that  many  a  girl  goes  through  in  this  period 
of  torn-boy  life  to  which  her  native  disposition  inclines 
her,  is  beyond  words.  The  instinct  of  girlhood  under 
normal  conditions  is  a  true  guide,  and  there  is  little 
danger  that  she  will  carry  the  boisterous  behaviour  too 
late  into  her  years  for  her  own  best  development.  Little 
by  little  the  womanly  instincts  will  gain  the  ascend- 
ency, and  there  will  develop  quietness  and  reserve 
and  genuine  modesty,  which  will  delight  the  heart  of 
the  mother.  When  under  free  scope  and  right  oppor- 
tunities it  is  pretty  safe  to  trust  her,  and  among  the 
multitude  of  things  which  seek  for  the  chief  place, 
those  which  make  for  the  best  life  are  pretty  likely  to 
find  their  place. 

Society  to-day  applies  a  widely  different  moral  stand- 
ard to  boys  and  girls.     Honour  is  the  predominant 

note  in  a  boy's  life,  virtue  in  a  girl's.  Many 
in  the  a  ^atner  wno  would  severely  punish  his  son 

Standards  for  failure  in  point  of  truth,  would  allow 
to  which  aimost  with  approval  ungracious  behaviour, 
Girls  are  scornful  speech,  and  even  profanity.  The 
Required  to  girl  is  taught  to  count  gentleness  and  agree- 

ableness  and  virtue  as  the  elements  of  char- 
acter which  must  be  maintained  at  any  cost,  and  she  is 
freely  forgiven  for  any  deceit,  or  even  half  dishonesty, 
which  seems  necessary  to  sustain  her  reputation. 
Society  has  for  the  boy  real  forgiveness  for  any  lapse 
from  the  standard  of  purity;  but  it  has  only  unsparing 


From  Girlhood  to  Womanhood    279 

condemnation  for  the  girl.  There  is  a  great  need  that 
these  standards  shall  be  somewhat  readjusted,  and 
that  we  should  demand  that  the  boy  be  agreeable, 
gracious,  and  considerate  of  others,  and  that  he  be  pure 
in  word  and  life.  And  of  the  girl  we  should  not  only 
demand  these  characteristics,  but  that  she  have  some 
of  the  strength  and  truth  and  sense  of  honour 
which  are  so  large  an  element  in  the  character  of  a 
good  man. 

The  girl  is  sensitive  to  the  atmosphere  in  which  she 
lives;  and,  perhaps  to  an  undue  degree,  her  tendency 
is  to  shape  everything  to  correspond  with  sensitive 
the  moral  and  social  standards  which  are  to  Atmos- 
about  her,  so  that  she  is  taught  to  sacrifice  phere. 
health,  life,  and  character  to  these  standards.  There 
is  need  for  greater  independence  and  a  disposition  for 
her  to  take  responsibility,  plan  her  own  life,  perform 
her  duties,  and  hold  her  place  in  the  world.  She 
should  have  a  high  ideal  of  personal  excellence,  and 
strive  in  every  way  for  the  best  in  body,  mind,  and  spirit. 
One  can  have  little  patience  with  the  idea  which  in  the 
minds  of  so  many  parents  excuses  all  sorts  of  defects 
in  behaviour,  even  to  the  point  of  downright  vicious- 
ness,  with  the  single  statement,  '  *  I  have  tried  to  train 
this  girl  right,  and  now  I  hope  everything  will  come 
out  for  the  best. "  It  is  a  part  of  the  duty  of  parent  or 
teacher  to  get  results.  One  can  have  large  charity  for 
the  immaturity  and  ignorance  of  childhood;  any  child 
who  makes  a  blunder  from  either  of  these  causes  ought 


280  Up  Through  Childhood 

not  to  be  seriously  censured,  but  it  seems  to  me  that  we 
are  inclined  to  allow  too  much  the  go-as-you-please 
method,  which  is  one  of  the  most  hurtful  factors  in  a 
child's  life. 

In  all  character  forming,  the  value  of  ideals  is  high, 
and  it  is  a  much  more  important  feature  than  is  usually 

considered  in  forming  the  character  of  girls. 
Ideals  ^ke  kind  of  ideal  is  the  supreme  question  for 

a  girl  or  a  boy,  but  with  a  girl  there  is  an  ad- 
ditional element.  Her  dominant  feeling  is  a  desire  to 
please,  and  this  will  lead  her  to  conform  very  closely  to 
the  ideal  character  which  she  most  admires  in  woman. 
The  benefit  that  comes  to  her  from  personal  acquaint- 
ance with  a  large-minded,  generous,  strong,  true 
woman  is  beyond  all  computation;  but  there  is  another 
factor  that  has  much  to  do  with  her  growth,  and  with 
her  behaviour.  It  is  the  ideal  which  she  has  of  men, 
and  in  particular  of  one  man  whose  half-formed  image 
is  cherished  in  her  heart  and  mind  long  before  her 
friends  realise  it,  and  even  long  before  she  knows  it 
herself.  This  dim,  unconscious  ideal  of  an  expected 
prince  is  an  always-present,  strong,  and  yet  unmeasured 
power  in  determining  her  choices  and  in  directing  her 
activities.  The  problem  is  to  teach  her  to  be  strong 
and  noble,  and  to  cultivate  a  really  generous  disposi- 
tion even  when  this  course  runs  counter  to  the  dim 
ideal  which  she  holds  in  her  heart.  The  great  harm 
comes  when  she  fits  this  ideal  to  a  name  and  man  who 
may  in  reality  lack  all  its  essential  qualities. 


From  Girlhood  to  Womanhood    281 

Every  year  of  experience  with  children  and  every 
year  in  the  study  of  life  emphasises  the  importance  of 
right  motive.     It  is  everything  to  have  a 
girl  wish  to  do  the  things  that  will  give  her  Th!LRi?ht 
the  best  life  and  the  best  character.     With 
wise  teaching,   nature  is  our  ally.     The  very  things 
that  are  best  for  the  girl's  growth  and  development  are 
very    often    the    things    which    she    is  instinctively 
prompted  to  do. 

All  our  social  life  is  developing  more  and  more  the 
need  for  service.  There  is  opportunity  for  a  great, 
strong,  and  beautiful  life  of  service  for  boy  and  girl, 
man  and  woman;  and  as  we  more  fully  realise  the 
social  ideal,  service  will  become  more  apparent  as  the 
end  for  which  we  labour.  To  render  a  satisfactory 
service,  there  is  need  for  a  full  development  of  every 
power  of  mind  and  body.  The  feelings  must  also  be 
rightly  developed  and  strongly  disciplined.  Every 
girl  must  have  so  much  strength  that  she  may  not  be 
a  slave  to  the  instincts  of  selfishness,  which  our  social 
life  drills  into  her  being  from  babyhood.  L,et  her  ap- 
preciate deeply  and  truly  the  value  of  graciousness  in 
daily  life.  Let  her  seek  by  every  means  in  her  power 
the  earnest  and  inspiring  art  of  conversation.  She 
should  be  capable  of  entertaining  not  only  by  what  she 
says  and  does,  but  by  what  she  is.  She  should  know 
herself  and  be  able  to  live  in  harmony  with  law,  and 
to  some  degree  at  least,  to  influence  the  people  about 
her. 


282  Up  Through  Childhood 

She  needs  to  be  taught  the  art  of  business.  Not  so 
much  because  she  expects  to  do  business  in  any  large 
way,  but  in  order  that  she  may  have  practi- 
Training  ca^  an(*  seusible  ideas  of  receipts  and  ex- 
penditures, and  be  able  to  protect  herself  and 
her  household  from  the  impositions  and  dishonesty  of 
the  thousand  enemies  who  prey  upon  people.  Then, 
too,  with  a  fair  business  training  she  will  conduct  her- 
self, when  dealing  with  business  men,  in  a  way  wholly 
different  from  the  untaught  woman  of  to-day.  A 
banker  once  said  to  me  that  he  would  rather  wait  on 
ten  men  than  on  one  woman,  for  she  was  sure  to  be 
petty,  querulous,  and  suspicious.  His  testimony  has 
since  been  confirmed  to  me  by  not  a  few  men  who  have 
had  large  experience  in  business  life. 

However,  the  defect  lies  not  so  much  with  woman,  as 
with  the  fact  that  she  is  untrained,  and  where  she  is 
ignorant  she  is  distrustful,  as  any  one  would  be.  Every 
age  has  had  its  share  of  strong  and  noble  women,  who 
have  impressed  themselves  upon  the  people  in  their 
community  and  in  the  broader  fields  of  life.  The  study 
of  these  characters  will  contribute  mightily  to  the  de- 
velopment of  the  right  kind  of  woman  for  the  future. 
The  woman  cannot  be  a  man;  and  much  as  she  may 
admire  manly  character,  the  kind  which  she  can  best 
imitate  is  the  strong,  noble,  and  womanly  character  of 
those  who  have  learned  how  to  live  wisely  and  well, 
and  have  been  endowed  with  sufficient  strength  to  do  it 
with  some  large  degree  of  success. 


From  Girlhood  to  Womanhood    283 

It  is  a  strange  and  interesting  lesson  in  human  life, 
that  sorrow  often  brings  out  the  pure  gold  in  character. 
I  think  that  this  is  particularly  true  of  char-  The 

acter  in  woman.  Now  and  then  there  is  a  Ministry 
nature  which  is  only  embittered  by  sor-  ofSorrow- 
row,  but  the  great  army  of  women  are  rendered  finer, 
stronger,  and  gentler  by  means  of  this  experience. 
There  is  a  tendency  to  be  superficial  and  playful  in  the 
presence  of  things  that  are  serious  and  important,  and 
just  in  proportion  as  a  woman  experiences  the  ministry 
of  sorrow,  she  gains  a  solidity,  a  strength,  and  a  gentle- 
ness which  are  beyond  words.  I  have  all  along  felt  that 
there  is  greater  need  in  the  life  of  our  girls  for  the  in- 
fluence of  true-hearted  men.  The  mother  does  more 
than  all,  and  yet  the  girl's  ideas  may  be  greatly  helped 
by  the  influence  of  a  father  or  a  brother.  Our  schools, 
too,  need  a  greater  number  of  male  teachers,  men  who 
are  strong  and  vigorous,  and  sane  in  their  outlook  on 
life,  and  who  can  by  their  vigour  and  earnestness  help 
in  the  most  practical  and  sensible  way  the  development 
of  the  best  elements  in  the  girl's  character.  In  many 
of  the  high  schools,  this  need  has  been  pretty  fully  sup- 
plied, but  in  the  upper  grades  of  the  grammar  schools 
there  is  still  great  need  for  the  virile  influence  of  man- 
hood. It  would  make  mightily  for  the  improvement 
of  human  life  and  character.  I  do  not  mean  the  wo- 
manish men,  who  sometimes  teach  school,  but  genuine 
men,  with  the  vigour,  strength,  and  breadth  which 
ought  to  characterise  the  man  who  teaches. 


284          Up  Through  Childhood 

Pity  is  a  strong  element  in  woman's  character.  She 
goes  naturally  and  almost  joyously  to  the  work  of 
healing  and  helpfulness,  provided  only  she  has  been 
properly  taught  to  do  this  work.  Ordinarily  she  has 
larger  leisure  and  a  different  kind  of  leisure  from  that 
of  man.  Every  community  has  a  score  of  things  which 
need  her  insight,  touch,  and  practical  helpfulness. 
To-day,  a  new  spirit  is  coming  into  her  religious  life, 
and  it  is  coming  through  the  colleges.  She  is  taught 
ways  of  doing  things  that  are  better  than  any  her 
neighbours  know;  she  gains  a  kindness  of  judgment 
from  the  three  or  four  years  of  the  life  with  girls  from 
different  sections  of  the  country  and  from  different 
planes  of  duty  and  experience.  As  the  strenuous  life 
comes  to  prevail  more  fully,  we  may  have  a  smaller 
percentage  of  men  who  graduate  from  the  colleges  which 
make  chiefly  and  directly  for  culture;  but  I  think  we 
shall  have  more  women  who  will  go  to  these  institu- 
tions to  qualify  themselves  for  a  broad,  rich,  and  true 
life  in  order  that  from  their  vantage  point  of  oppor- 
tunity and  culture  they  may  carry  light  and  healing  to 
the  family  home,  whether  it  be  the  remote  farm-house, 
or  a  home  in  the  busy  streets  of  the  crowded  city. 

The  girl  is  not  an  undeveloped  man,  but  has  as  her 
chief  charm  the  pleasing  and  effective  points  of  differ- 
ence which  are  known  as  sensitiveness, 
Summary. 

warm  affection,  responsiveness,  strong  emo- 
tional nature,  and  the  personal  point  of  view.  She 
needs  breadth  and  knowledge  and  truthfulness. 


From  Girlhood  to  Womanhood    285 

Every  group  of  qualities  receives  enforcement  from  all 
the  rest.  As  things  now  stand,  the  mother's  influence 
is  rightly  dominant  in  the  girl's  life,  and  makes  for 
many  of  the  best  elements  in  character.  But  with  our 
changing  civilisation,  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  girl 
would  be  greatly  helped  by  a  larger  share  of  the  influ- 
ence of  father,  brother,  or  teacher,  granted,  of  course, 
that  these  are  true-hearted  men.  She  will  learn  from 
them  the  wider  plane  of  conduct  which  makes  for  self- 
control,  for  poise  of  character,  and  general  usefulness. 
There  is  need  for  her  to  have  great  devotion  to  truth, 
and  to  that  high  sense  of  honour  which  is  so  much 
admired  in  men  of  a  rich  and  generous  nature. 


PART  IV 
THE  GRADUATE 


287 


CHAPTER  XXV 
THE;  ROUNDED 


THIS  book  rests  upon  two  fundamental  considera- 
tions: the  first  is,  that  the  long  period  of  infancy  gives 

opportunity  to  train  the  young  child  for  the 

Summary. 
duties  and  responsibilities  of  life;  and  the 

second,  that  this  training  is  worth  giving  because  of 
the  strong  religious  instinct  which  is  native  to  the 
character  of  every  well-born  child. 

The  book  is  divided  into  four  parts:  Part  I,  dealing 
with  the  School  of  Life,  in  which  are  discussed  (i)  life 
as  opportunity,  (2)  that  aim  of  education  which  will 
make  it  possible  to  use  this  opportunity  aright,  and  (3) 
the  institutions  of  education  which,  as  environment, 
contribute  to  the  unfolding  and  instruction  of  the  child. 
Part  II  deals  with  the  teacher  in  relation  to  his  work 
as  a  quickener,  and  then  passes  to  the  teacher's  pre- 
paration, his  relation  to  the  Bible,  and  last  and  best 
his  relation  to  the  child.  Part  III  deals  with  the 
young  being  in  all  stages  of  his  growth  from  birth  to 
adult  life,  first  taking  up  the  broad  question  of  man's 
place  in  nature,  and  dealing  with  that  as  fundamental 
to  all  further  interpretation.  The  other  topics  concern 


290  Up  Through  Childhood 

themselves  with  man's  reaction  on  environment,  with 
the  development  of  the  mental  powers  and  the  placing 
of  these  in  due  relation  to  each  other,  with  the  training 
of  the  child's  faith,  and  with  the  specific  consideration  of 
the  boy's  and  the  girl's  experiences  to  adult  life.  If 
this  discussion  has  accomplished  the  purpose  the  writer 
intended,  the  reader  is  now  prepared  for  a  summary  of 
the  rounded  life,  which  should  include  a  discussion  of 
the  conditions  met  and  the  results  obtained  in  the  in- 
dividual life;  and  as  a  second  part,  a  study  of  the 
conditions  of  society  which  would  result  from  the 
predominance  in  society  of  men  and  women  taught  and 
trained  to  discharge  their  duties  to  each  other. 

The  first  great  aim  in  education  is  self-realisation. 
It  includes  the  highest  development  of  the  powers  of  a 
given  individual.  Not  all  persons  can  be 
Individual  eclua^y  we^  developed  in  every  direction; 
every  man  has  his  points  of  strength,  and 
his  points  of  weakness.  The  first  condition  for  indi- 
vidual development  and  effectiveness  is,  along  with  the 
process  of  growth,  to  have  the  youth  know  his  own 
powers  and  tendencies.  Knowing  these,  he  ought  to 
be  able  to  work  on  the  strong  side  and  give  the  weaker 
side  of  his  nature  only  such  exercise  as  may  be  neces- 
sary and  desirable  for  its  unfolding  to  constitute  so 
nearly  as  possible  a  well- developed  character. 

The  child  with  good  natural  endowment  and  trained 
in  harmony  with  the  principles  we  have  discussed, 
ought  to  enjoy  superb  health  of  body,  mind,  and  spirit. 


The  Rounded  Life  291 

Physically,  lie  ought  to  have  the  plus  health  of 
which  Emerson  talks— that  feeling  which  makes  it  a 
joy  to  live.  This  should  give  him  vigour  of  Develop- 
rnind  and  body,  and  a  strong  impulse  toward  ment  of 
righteousness.  He  should  have  an  elastic  the  Body- 
mind  which  springs  back  from  all  doubt,  gloom,  and 
discouragement,  and  rights  itself  amid  adverse  circum- 
stances. The  mind  should  know  how  to  keep  its  poise 
and  govern  itself.  He  will  recognise  that  man's  defeat 
comes  from  within,  and  that  the  enemies  which  can  do 
him  real  harm  are  only  the  unworthy  and  unhallowed 
affections  of  his  own  nature.  Such  a  mind  will  be 
heroic.  Though  overthrown,  it  will  not  be  disheart- 
ened; and  though  conquered,  it  will  not  surrender.  A 
well-trained  mind  will  know  not  only  how  to  govern  it- 
self, but  to  govern  others,  and  to  govern  them  magnani- 
mously and  kindly  for  their  own  good.  It  will  be  able 
to  protect  Self  from  the  wolves  of  modern  society,  and 
will  be  so  gentle  as  not  to  harm  either  the  weak  or  the 
careless.  This  kind  of  a  man  will  have  those  instincts, 
aspirations,  and  purposes  which  make  education  a 
permanent  institution  of  life.  Such  a  one  could  grow 
always  and  everywhere,  accumulating  knowledge  from 
all  sources,  and  sorting,  classifying,  and  applying  this 
knowledge  in  all  right  ways. 

Growing  out  of  this  attitude  of  the  mind  and  this 
equipment,  there  will  come  such  a  development  as  shall 
put  his  spirit  in  harmony  with  the  great  spiritual 
forces  of  the  world,  and  such  a  man  will  strive  not  only 


292          Up  Through  Childhood 

in  his  own  might  to  effect  worthy  results,  but  will  be 
re-enforced  by  the  hands  of  righteousness  in  all  times 

and  in  all  lands.     He  will  not  be  the  slave 
Develop- 
ment of  the  of  doubt  or  of  uncertainty,  but  with  a  sane 

Spiritual  and  wholesome  optimism  will  feel  that  God 
rules  the  world,  and  that  right  should 
prevail  because  it  is  right.  Forces  of  wickedness 
everywhere  will  shrink  from  him,  and  his  touch  in  the 
community  will  be  strong  and  forceful  for  the  best 
things.  He  will  be  qualified  to  fill  the  measure  of  man 
in  its  largest  interpretation. 

His  tongue  was  framed  to  music  ; 

His  hand  was  armed  with  skill ; 
His  face  the  mould  of  beauty ; 

His  heart  the  throne  of  will. 

EMERSON. 

Such  conditions  will  contribute  to  a  new  develop- 
ment of  society.  Then  weariness  and  want  and  the 
Develoo-  agedness  which  is  death  will  slip  away 
ment  of  and  the  world  will  renew  its  youth.  We 
Society.  shall  jndeed  realise  that  the  greatest  wealth 
is  human  character,  and  that  though  petty  details  may 
be  wearisome,  the  joys  of  life  are  inexhaustible. 

It  is  not  youth,  but  life  that  is  the  story  of  begin- 
nings. To  the  man  who  is  living  the  well-rounded 
life,  who  has  touched  its  heights  and  depths  and  has 
felt  some  sense  of  its  mighty  opportunities  and  marvel- 
lous achievements,  there  comes  a  vision  of  the  future 
too  big  for  words.  The  mind  reaches  clearly  and 


The  Rounded  Life  293 

strongly,  hopefully  and  joyously,  to  a  time  beyond, 
to  a  golden  age  of  experience,  an  age  which  shall  be 
marked  by  endless  developments.  This  is  the  basis  of 
a  hope  without  limit. 

In  the  new  society  there  will  be  time  enough.  No 
more  work  half  done  because  the  day  has  failed.  No 
more  offices  of  friendship  slighted  for  lack  of  time, 
no  great  achievement  turned  aside,  no  worthy  thing 
neglected,  for  lack  of  time.  Time  will  be  considered 
as  eternity  begun,  and  the  implacable  rush,  haste, 
and  confusion  which  mark  our  daily  life  will  give 
way  to  a  leisure  which  makes  possible  work  more 
nearly  perfect.  Men  will  then  work  for  the  joy  of 
it.  The  pleasure  of  the  process  and  the  joy  in  the 
product  will  constitute  a  large  part  of  the  reward  for 
service. 

There  will  be  space  enough.  No  more  crowded 
attics,  no  more  narrow  back-yards,  no  more  grinding 
poverty  which  forbids  room  for  the  elastic  life  of  child- 
hood to  expand  as  best  it  may;  but  a  boundless  range 
of  air  and  sky,  a  world  of  infinite  beauty,  bounded  by 
no  four  walls,  and  limited  not  by  the  petty  claims  of 
struggling  worldly  landlords  or  tenants.  We  shall 
have  room  to  breathe,  room  to  think,  room  to  live  that 
great  full  life  which  is  the  heritage  of  humanity! 

And  the  vision  of  facilities  enough!  Every  right 
desire  of  the  longing  soul  shall  be  satisfied;  and  long- 
ing for  knowledge  and  insight  and  love  and  power 
shall  find  its  satisfaction.  Out  of  the  heart  and  the 


294          Up  Through  Childhood 

effort  of  this  life  there  shall  come  abundant  facilities 
for  the  finest  and  highest  growth  of  each  and  all.  Men 
are  bound  together  by  common  ties,  men  have  the  one 
touch  of  common  love  which  makes  the  whole  world 
akin.  But  as  each  man  stands  upon  the  border  of  the 
great  eternity  and  peers  into  the  dim  future,  he  must 
be  deeply  conscious  that  his  life  is  too  short  for  the 
realisation  of  his  possible  development,  that  for  a  being 
with  the  boundless  aspiration  of  an  enlightened  soul 
there  must  be  an  ETERNITY  for  effort  and  development. 
For  every  other  desire  of  man's  life  there  comes  an  an- 
swer which  grants  all  abundance  where  only  the  little 
is  asked.  So  I  take  it  that  the  greatest  good  which 
can  come  to  a  man  from  the  well-rounded  life  is  the 
growing  consciousness  that  the  life  which  is  to  abide 
forever  is  greater  than  the  present,  and  that  out  of  the 
trials  and  discouragements  and  doubts  of  this  practical 
and  painful  work-a-day  world  there  shall  come  a  new 
sense  of  the  life  beyond,  a  consciousness  that  eternity 
begins  here  and  now,  and  that  heaven  is  only  the 
highest  and  best  of  earth  refined,  exalted,  projected, 
realised,  that  it  is  the  attainment  of  a  hope  immortal, 
the  realisation  of  a  beauty  and  strength,  a  fineness  and 
power,  which  with  our  narrow  outlook  we  call  perfec- 
tion. We  pause  upon  the  border,  we  veil  our  faces 
from  the  ineffable  glory,  but  we  know  that  it  is  there, 
and  we  reach  out  with  high  hope  and  strong  faith  to 
the  unfolding  of  the  life  which  we  now  live.  Birth, 
life,  death,  eternity,  we  welcome  all.  We  glory  in  ex- 


The  Rounded  Life  295 

perience,  and  we  rejoice  in  the  thought  of  that  mind 
which  this  experience  works  out  in  us. 

With  men  and  women  so  developed  and  so  trained 
and  so  taught  to  fill  their  places  in  the  world,  there  will 
come  a  society,  keen,  strong,  noble,  and  tender;  a 
society  which  is  able  to  protect  itself  and  at  the  same 
time  provide  advantages  for  the  highest  development 
of  all.  It  will  stir  endless  aspirations,  and  provide  in 
full  measure  the  conditions  of  the  best  and  truest  life. 

It  may  seem  that  this  picture  is  too  bright  and  that 
the  things  here  set  forth  are  impossible.  But  let  me 
remind  the  reader  that  a  man  finds  what  he  expects  to 
find,  or  better  still  that  he  sees  only  what  he  brings 
with  him  to  the  spectacle.  And  viewed  in  the  broader 
way,  there  is  little  doubt  that  the  mind,  with  all  its 
opportunities  and  enthusiasms,  will  surpass  anything 
that  has  been  thought  or  dreamed.  To  the  man  who 
has  studied  the  life  of  the  Christ-child  and  pondered 
the  wonderful  development  which  was  manifested  in 
him,  there  can  surely  not  be  lacking  both  example  and 
inspiration  for  the  highest  ideals,  and  a  most  worthy 
hope  of  great  realisation. 


INDEX 


Abstract  and  concrete,  211 

Accomplishment  and  effort, 
relation  between,  226 

Action,  develops  power,  16; 
aim  determines,  25;  no 
provision  for,  59 

Activity,  218 

Adolescence,  period  of,  27^ 

Affection,  higher,  expulsive 
power  of,  222 

Agencies,  use  available,  72 

Aim,  variety  of,  1 6 ;  unity  of ,  in 
education,  18;  in  character 
building,  1 9 ;  determines 
action,  25;  determines  cur- 
riculum, 2  5  ;  determines  me- 
thod, 26;  determines  spirit, 
27;  interest  and,  174 

Ambition  for  excellence,  78 

Analogy,  208 

Apperception,  164;  definition 
of,  165 

Apprenticeship  in  right  liv- 
ing, 245 

Aptness  to  teach,  no 

Art,  literature  and,  92;  im- 
agination in,  196 

Assistant  superintendent  of 
Sunday-school,  68 

Atlantis,  legend  of,  190 

Attention,  155;  involuntary, 
156;  must  be  taught,  156; 
expectant,  157;  dispersed, 
158;  and  mental  life,  159; 
and  genius,  160;  and  inat- 
tention, 1 60;  directions  for 
cultivating  the,  161-3 


Banks,  A.  L.,  quoted,  199 
Beatitudes,   our  unbelief  in, 

48 
Bible,  the,  and  the  child,  87; 

1 06;  a  library,  106;  a  book 

of  inspiration,  107 
Blunder,  an  unforgivable  one, 

83 

Board  and  clothes  with  varia- 
tions, 36-8 
Body,    development   of   the, 

291 

Bonnicastle,  Arthur,  93 
Boy's  Town,  A,  93 
Boy,    the,   his  feelings,    269; 

grief  seems  to  him  holy,  269; 

physical   changes  in,    270; 

mental    changes    in,    271; 

spiritual  changes  in,    272; 

the  greatest  need  of,  275 
Boyhood  and  manhood,  266 
Brotherliness,  zones  of,  262 
Business,  competition  in,  40; 

value    of    imagination    in, 

197,  202;  and  will,  250 
Butler,    Pres.,    paraphrased, 

J39 

Byron,  quoted,  166 


Carlyle,  on  attention,  155 
Carr,  Supt.,  quoted,  113-4 
Castle-building,  evil  of,  200 
Chambered  Nautilus,  139 
Channing's  symphony,  256 
Character,  the  teacher  makes, 
77;  stability  of,  213 


297 


298 


Index 


Character  building,    the   aim 

in,  19 

Child,  the,  hope  of  the  par- 
ents for,  3;  cannot  receive 
the  wisdom  of  age,  1 1 ;  the 
sheltered,  1 2 ;  to  make  in- 
vincible, 29;  and  the  Bible, 
87 ;  as  a  problem,  m;  how 
to  study,  in;  periods  in  the 
life  of,  1 29—3 1 ;  how  to  reach 
the  will  of,  245  ;  guard,  261 ; 
the  faith  of,  262 
Children,  how  to  study,  93 
Christ,  a  moral  expert,  89 
Church,  the,   35,   70;  a  con- 
servative force,  47 ;  women 
in,  50;  does  not  meet  needs, 

~.51 

Cicero,    on    training    up    to 

virtue,  24 

Cobden,  quoted,  210 

Colleges,  women  trained  for 
service  in,  284 

Columbus,  30 

Co  wen,  on  memory,  191 

Cramming,  evils  of,  203 

Culture  value  of  the  im- 
agination, 194 

Curriculum,  aim  determines, 
25;  of  Sunday-school,  de- 
fects in,  55-6,  70 

Dabney,  Pres.,  on  true  educa- 
tion, 24 

Day-dreaming,  evils  of,  200 

Day-school  and  Sunday- 
school  compared,  87 

Decision,  types  of,  243 

Deduction,  209  /f 

Development  of  the  indi- 
vidual, 34;  parallel  of  na- 
tion and  individual,  124-6; 
of  the  spiritual  nature,  291, 
of  the  body,  291 ;  of  society, 
292 

Dickens's  Child  and  the  Star, 
270 

"Died  a  grocer,"  19 

Dream  Life,  93 


Drummond,  21 
Duty,  love  of,  216 

Eden,  the  coming,  14 

Education,  the  aim  of,  15; 
Parker  on,  1 5 ;  wider  mean- 
ing of,  15;  unity  of  aim  in, 
18;  Pres.  Dabney  on  true, 
24;  a  permanent  interest  of 
life,  170 

Efficiency,  a  motive,  216 

Effort  and  accomplishment, 
relation  between,  226 

Element,  the  religious,  24; 
fundamental,  28 

Elements,  the  seven,  2 1 ;  the 
three,  182 

Emerson  quoted,  181,  292 

Emotion,  place  for,  224 

Environment,  and  self,  4 ;  re- 
lation to,  137 

Evolution,  Fiske's  contribu- 
tion to,  5 

Excellence,  ambition  for,  78; 
desire  for,  216 

Faber  quoted,  268 

Faith,  makes  nations  great, 
31;  the  old,  in  new  forms, 
31;  rests  on  the  few,  260; 
moves  from  lower  to  higher 
plane,  261;  of  child  and 
adult  compared,  262; 
knowledge  and,  263 

Faults,  intellect  a  means  of 
obviating,  212 

Feeling,  development  of,  45 ; 
value  of,  252;  and  the  in- 
ner life,  252;  and  progress 
252;  cultivation  of,  253; 
not  an  unmixed  good,  253; 
a  boy's,  269 

Fell,  Dr.,  84 

Field,  the  larger,  62 

First  claim,  the  home  has,  73 

Fiske,  contribution  to  educa- 


tion, 5 
^  gl 


Force,  glorified,  18 


Index 


299 


Formation  and  reformation, 

61 
Freedom  to  grow,  124 

Garden  of  Eden,  work  in,  44 

Generation,  the  next,  52 

Genius  and  attention,  160 

Genuine,  teacher  must  be,  95 

Girl,  the,  sensitive  to  atmos- 
phere, 279;  business  train- 
ing for,  282;  not  an  un- 
developed man,  284;  the 
greatest  need  of,  285 

Girlhood  to  womanhood,  277 

God's  record,  104 

Good,  the,  a  great  enemy  of 
the  best,  223 

Goodness,  positive,  23;  tra- 
ditional idea  of,  274 

Gordon,  31 

Government,  purpose  of,  45; 
educates,  46;  value  of 
imagination  in,  198 

Grief,  seems  holy  to  the  boy, 
269 

Guard  the  child,  261 

Habit,  practical  value  of ,  2  28 ; 
general  laws,  228;  theory 
of,  228;  the  fly-wheel  of 
society,  229;  makes  one  un- 
willing to  receive  new  light, 
231;  how  it  enslaves,  232; 
chains  of,  232;  of  success, 

2.34 

Habits,  mental,  230;  physical, 
230;  gentlemanly,  instil 
early,  233 ;  forming  of,  237 ; 
conditions  of  forming,  237 ; 
directions  for  forming,  238 ; 
personal,  239;  business,  240 

Halleck  quoted,  245 

Head  enough,  78 

Hearing,  152 

Heart  enough,  79 

Heart  power,  181 

Heart,  the,  an  organ  of  in- 
sight, 254 

Herbert,  quoted,  180 


History,  God  in,  91 

Home,  the,  34;  has  the  first 

claim,  73 
Honesty,  21 
Hood,  footnote,  138 
How  to  learn  how,  91 
Hungers,  the  many,  136 

Ideal,  the  great,  259 

Ideals,  place  of,  in  character, 
257;  value  of,  280 

Ideal  Sunday-school,  the,  71 

Ideas,  grouping  of,  207 

Illustrations,  character  of, 
179-81 

Imagination,  philosophical, 
192;  ethical,  192;  poetical, 
192;  definition  of,  192;  and 
its  culture,  192;  types  of, 
193;  common  attitude  to- 
ward, 193 ;  culture  value  of, 
194;  materials  for,  195;  in 
literature,  195;  and  the 
senses,  195;  in  art,  196; 
value  of,  in  teaching,  197; 
value  of,  in  social  life,  197; 
practical  value  of,  197; 
value  in  business,  197,  202 ; 
value  in  religion,  198; 
value  in  government,  198 

Impulse,  an,  then  a  deed,  267 

Incentives,  good  and  bad,  219 

Individual,  development  of 
the,  34,  290 

Induction,  209 

Ingelow,  Jean,  quoted,  132-5 ; 

Inheritance,  the  religious,  32, 
1 44 ;  literary,  1 40 ;  scientific, 
141;  aesthetic,  142;  institu- 
tional, 143;  and  education, 
144 

Inner,  the,  and  the  outer  life, 

254 

Insight,  21 ;  the  heart  an 
organ  of,  254 

Instruction,  daily  conversa- 
tions on,  v. 

Intellect,  a  mean  of  obviating 
our  faults,  212 


Index 


Interest,  173;  and  aim,  174; 

the  office  of,  178 
Introduction,  by  F.  M.  Mc- 

Murry,  v. 

Ironsides,  Cromwell's,  31 
Irresolution,    a    fatal    habit, 

242 

James,    Prof.,    quoted,    173, 

210,  229,  243 
Joan  of  Arc,  29 

King,   Pres.,  on  religion  for 

children,  60-1 

Kipling,  on  Cecil  Rhodes,  192 
Knowledge,    23;  new  classes 

for,  1 66;  love  of,  218;  faith 

and,  263 

Labour,  a  useless,  101 

Latimer,  30 

Laws,  the  general,  of  habit, 
228 

Lesson  plan,  116 

Liberty,  enough,  80 ;  and  will, 
250 

Librarian  of  the  Sunday- 
school,  70 

Life,  the  School  of,  4 

Life's  lessons,  each  must 
learn  for  himself,  1 1 

Like  pew,  like  preacher,  49 

Lincoln,  31 

Literature,  and  art,  92;  im- 
agination in,  195 

Longing,  200 

Lost,  two  golden  hours,  9 

Lost,  nothing  ever,  from  the 
mind,  235 

Love,  21,  218 

Lowell,  on  earth's  heroes,  29; 
on  progress,  90 ;  on  longing, 
200 

Loyola,  30 

Luther,  30 

Macbeth  as  a  master  of  the 

outer  life,  244 
Machinery  and  manhood,  1 7 


Machinery  in  modern  life,  45 
Man,  seven  ages  of,  127 
Manhood     and     machinery, 

Mann,  Horace,  on  lost  time, 
9;  on  the  next  generation 
as  a  client,  52 

Marner,  Silas,  260 

Material  for  thought,  abund- 
ance of,  204;  by  reading, 
206;  by  talking,  206 

Measurement,  units  of,  208 

Meditative  Christianity,  49 

Memories,  bitter,  189;  of  the 
past,  190 

Memory,  location  of,  182; 
train  early,  187;  and  the 
higher  powers,  187;  a  treas- 
ure house,  1 88 

Mental  habits,  230 

Method,  aim  determines,  26 

Milton's  definition  of  poetry, 
146 

Mind,  and  body,  122;  pre- 
pared, 167;  nothing  ever 
lost  from  the,  235 

Mohammed,  31 

Moment,  the  supreme,  82 

Money,  need  of,  42 

Moral  habits,  230 

Motivation,  the  importance 
of,  214 

Motive,  definition  of,  214; 
the  right,  281 

Motives,  kinds  and  value, 
214;  hidden,  220;  illustra- 
tion of  hidden,  220;  culti- 
vation of  right,  222 

Motor  side,  the,  42 

Moulton,  Prof.,  quoted,  254 

Multitude  attracted  Jesus,  94 

Native  instincts,  176 
Nature,  development  of  the 

spiritual,  292 
Natures  that  repel,  84 
New  forms  of  old  truth,  104 

Occupation,  value  of,  41 


Index 


301 


Office  of  the  Sunday-school, 

Officers,  and  teachers,  need 
of,  57 ;  good  may  be  had,  58 

Old  truth  in  new  forms,  104 

Only  thirty  minutes,  66 

Open-mindedness,  22 

Open  mind,  the,  100 

Organisation  of  the  Sunday- 
school,  67 

Owning  property,  36 

Oxford,  30 

Parents'  hope  for  the  child,  3 

Parker,  on  education,  15 

Patience,  no 

Paul,  21 

Pearls,  the  lost,  8 

Perseverance,  22 

Personal  element,  the,  173 

Personal  habits,  239 

Physical  habits,  230 

Pity  in   woman's  character, 

284 
Placing  the  class,  directions 

for,  114 

Play  spirit,  the,  266 
Point  of  contact,  175 
Positive  goodness,  23 
Pope,  on  vice,  236 
Power,  developed  by  action, 

1 6;  desire  for,  215 
Praise,  love  of,  215 
Prentiss,  S.  S.,  anecdote  of, 

156-7 

Preparation,  the  teacher's,  86 
Prisoner,  the  Oriental,  233 
Problem,  a  profound,  88 
Progress    and    conservatism, 

166 

Psalmist,  warning  of,  81 
Purposes,  great,  217 
"Put  yourself  in  his  place," 


Reading,  as  a  method  of  ac- 
cumulating material,  206 
Reasoning,  methods  of,  209 
Recall  and  recognition,  182 


Record,  God's,  104 

Religion,  of  child  and  man, 
59;  value  of  imagination 
in,  198;  and  will,  251 

Religious  element,  24;  funda- 
mental, 28 

Religious  life  of  the  boy,  267 

Remembering,  conditions  of, 

184-5 

Reward,  the  teacher's,  82 
Ridley,  30 

Righteousness,  practice  in,  65 
Right  living,   apprenticeship 

in,  245 

Right  material,  175 
Right  time  to  present  truth, 

Roads    to    truth  are    many, 

103 

Rounded  life,  the,  289 
Ruskin,  on  thirst  after  justice, 

20;  on  religion  of  nature, 

105 
Ryle  quoted,  107 

School  of  Life,  the,  4 

School,  the,  35,  38;  a  burden 
bearer,  40 

Secretary  of  Sunday-school, 
69 

Seeking  after  God,  28 

Self-activity  and  environ- 
ment, 136 

Self  and  environment,  4 

Self,  what  it  is,  173 

Senses,  the,  146;  education  of 
the,  153;  imagination  and 
the,  195 

Sentiments,  birth  of,  in  a 
child's  life,  7 

Sermon  on  the  Mount,  teach- 
ings of,  47 

Service,  spirit  of,  44;  need  of, 
281 

Shield  the  young,  236 

Shrady,  Dr.,  and  the  butch- 
er's boy,  36 

Sight,  150 

Smell,  149 


102 


Index 


Society,  35,  40;  competition 
in,  40;  the  stamp  of,  41; 
value  of  imagination  in, 
197 ;  habit  the  fly-wheel  of, 
229;  development  of,  292 

Sorrow,  ministry  of,  283 

Soul,  and  body,  122;  the 
climbing,  136 

Spaulding,  Bishop,  Educa- 
tion and  the  Higher  Life, 
256 

Special  hungers,  178 

Spectacles,  every  man  carries 
his  own,  165 

Spirit,  aim  determines  the, 
27. 

Spiritual  and  Physical,  123 

Spiritual    thermometer,    the, 

49.  . 

Stability  of  character,  213 
Standards,  different,  to  which 
boys  and  girls  are  required 
to  conform,  278 
Stock  in  trade,  the  teacher's, 

96 

Striving,  the  value  of,  13 
Struggle  and  character,  137 
Struggle    with  world    neces- 
sary for  power,  13 
Stubbornness,  our,  56 
Subconscious  field,  the,  234 
Success,  the  habit  of,  234 
Superintendent    of    Sunday- 
school,  67 

Supervision  of  conduct,  65 
Supreme  moment,  the,  82 
Sunday-school,      charges 
against,    54—5 ;    defects   in 
curriculum,  55—6;   aim   of, 
64;  organisation  of,  67;  the 
ideal,    71;   compared  with 
day-school,     87;    office    of 
the,  98 

Sympathy,  108 
Symphony,  Channing's,  256 

Talking  as  a  method  of  ac- 
cumulating material,  206 
Taste,  148 


Taylor,  Jane,  story  of  The 
Mysterious  Stranger,  6 

Teacher,  the  soul  of  the 
school,  39;  must  be  genu- 
ine, 95;  two  relations,  108; 
before  the  class,  114 

Teacher's,  the,  stock  in  trade, 
96 

Teachers,  character  of,  40; 
need  of,  57;  training  class 
for,  98 

Teaching,  cost  of,  3  2 ;  oppor- 
tunity for,  66;  value  of 
imagination  in,  197 

Temper,  keeping  one's,  210 

Tennyson,  quoted,  170 

Test,  the,  of  service  is  use,  52 ; 
of  the  right  course  of  action 
224 

The  Bird  with  the  Broken 
Wing,  258 

Things  worth  while,  43,  221 

Thinking,  fundamental  con- 
dition of,  202;  value  of 
imagination  in,  202;  time 
for  reaction  necessary,  205 ; 
use  of  will  in,  207 ;  practice 
in,  210 

Thought,  definition  of,  202; 
and  thought  culture,  202; 
running  a,  down,  205 

Thought  material,  abund- 
ance of,  204 

Thring,  quoted,  214 

Tiger,  bound  by  habit,  232 

Time,  enough,  79;  too  little, 
81;  necessary  for  reaction 
in  thinking  205 

To  thine  own  self  be  true,  104 

Touch,  147 

Training-class,  a  teachers',  98 

Trine,  In  Tune  with  the  In- 
finite, 256 

Truth,  roads  to,  are  many,  103 

Truthfulness,  268 

Unforgivable  blunder,  an,  83 
Units  of  measurement,  208 
Use  is  test  of  service,  52 


Index 


303 


Valley  Forge,  31 
Value,  practical,   of  the  im- 
agination, 197 
Variety  of  aims,  16 

Washington,  31 

Way,  the  better,  61 

Wesley,  30 

What  is  man  ?  121 

White,  Dr.,  quoted,  246 

Whittier,  on  Scripture  in  the 
heart,  89;  Snowbound, 
quoted,  264 

Will,  the,  242 ;  use  of,  in  think- 
ing, 207 ;  how  to  reach  the 
child's,  245;  trained,  not 
broken,  247;  uses  of,  248; 


training  of  the,  249 ;  liberty 
and  the,  250;  business  and 
the,  250;  religion  and  the, 

25X 

Wilfulness,  248 
Wisdom  of  age,  child  cannot 

receive,  n 
Witnesses,  God's,  89 
Wonder,  the  element  of,  263 
Wordsworth,  footnote,  138 
Work,  the  teacher's,  77 
Working,  ways  of,  63 
Writing,  a  step  in  the  thought 

process,  210 

Youth,  the  untrained,  p 
Youth's  Companion,  The,  94 


